Duterte’s 4th SONA short, says Palace

July 16, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte will have a "short" State of the Nation Address (SONA) next week, Malacanang said on Tuesday.

"Oh, by the way, he (Duterte) said that...because I asked him about the SONA this morning. He said, 'Oh it will be short'," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a press briefing, quoting Duterte.

Duterte is set to deliver his fourth SONA on July 22 during the joint session of Congress at the House of Representatives in Quezon City.

Panelo said the speech could be short because of the pre-SONA activities by  Cabinet members.

"And most of—ordinarily, the President will be discussing achievements of his administration on a particular year and since the pre-SONAs are already doing that, so I do not think the President will have to repeat that," he explained.

Duterte is known to deliver lengthy speeches more often than not. There were times that his speeches would last for two hours.

"Usually if it's short, that's for two hours," Panelo said in jest.

So far, Duterte's longest SONA was in 2017 when it lasted for two hours. In 2016, it ended after one hour and 32 minutes, while last year, it was 48 minutes. 

The SONA could have been shorter in 2018 because it was delayed due to the leadership problem at the House where then Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez was ousted and was replaced by former President and then Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Celerina Monte/DMS