THE third State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Rodrigo Duterte almost did not push through on Monday, July 23.
Why?
The President of the Republic almost walked out. This is because he was reportedly irked with the power struggle in the House leadership.
The lawmakers staged a coup d’etat and kicked out their leader, then House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, just minutes before Duterte is scheduled to deliver his address.
Even if the plan of the House members was already put into motion during the caucus earlier that day, it culminated just as Duterte arrived at the Batasang Pambansa Complex.
Obviously, the conflict in the lower house has stolen Duterte’s thunder, when it was supposed to be his day.
The squabble at the House had caused a delay of about 75 minutes. The president was made to wait in the holding area.
No wonder the president was somber when he delivered his report, which was the shortest as it only lasted for 48 minutes. No jokes, no ad-libs, and no cussing.
It was Senate President Vicente Sotto III who told reporters that the president got irritated over the leadership row in the House of Representatives and threatened to walk out.
Majority of the House members voted in favor of former president and Pampanga Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the new Speaker of the House, who was formally installed after the Sona.