ON THE eve of his third State of the Nation Adress (Sona) on Monday, July 23, President Rodrigo Duterte went on a one-hour rehearsal at Malacañan Palace.
Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go said Duterte was "in good mood" during the rehearsal for his third Sona on the night of Sunday, July 22.
Go said Duterte was ready to tell the public about his administration's significant achievements, including its intensified crackdown on illegal drugs, criminality, and corruption.
"[Duterte] is good to go and is not prepared for his third Sona," Go said in a statement.
"I am sure the President will be reporting what he has done the past two years, specifically on the war on drugs, crime and corruption. He will also [be] talking about the programs that he has implemented, especially those that require a leader with the political will, since these are for the greatest good of the majority," he added.
Duterte, who is known for his long impromptu remarks, is expected to read a prepared speech that would not exceed 35 minutes.
Earlier, Communications Secretary Jose Ruperto Martin Andanar and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel were not discounting the possibility that the President might make extemporaneous speech on his address to the nation, as he would touch on issues that are "close to his heart."
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said film and television director Joyce Bernal, who will be directing Duterte's third Sona for free, wanted to make sure that the President "is able to talk to the whole world."
Roque said the President would highlight the things he wants to accomplish in the next 12 months of his administration, in a bid to fulfill his vow to promote a "genuine and meaningful change" in the country.
Roque said the 73-year-old Chief Executive had a routine medical check-up at Cardinal Santos Hospital on Sunday night to ensure that he is in good condition.
"He (Duterte) spent and a half for the routine examination. He was declared to be in good health," Roque said. (SunStar Philippines)