Palace assures Duterte's SONA to be aired live, unedited

Malacañang assures that President Duterte's 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27 will be aired live and without edits.

This assurance follows concerns that parts of the President's taped speech, including his remarks about oligarchs, were edited out.

Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) Executive Director Demic Pabalan confirmed the SONA will be broadcast live and verbatim on Facebook and YouTube.

Only the Presidential Broadcast Staff of RTVM will be allowed inside the Batasang Pambansa venue to cover the event.

Other media organizations have been instructed to re-stream the feed provided by RTVM, a regulation they are currently questioning.

The decision to limit attendees is a recommendation from the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque clarified that Duterte's remarks about oligarchs were not directed at the Lopezes of ABS-CBN, but at tycoons Lucio Tan, the Ayalas, and Manuel V. Pangilinan.