Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 20) — The House of Representatives was placed on lockdown on Thursday in preparation for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24.
According to a House official, entry to the Batasang Pambansa has been restricted to authorized persons and vehicles, as personnel from the Presidential Security Group, Philippine National Police, and Armed Forces of the Philippines conduct security sweeps.Hindi natin pwedeng hayaan na hindi secured ang lugar na ito [We cannot leave this place unsecured],” House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said.Remember they will be here from 2 o’clock (in the afternoon) until the time the president leaves. That’s about four, five hours. Every corner here, ‘yan ang tinitingnan sa lockdown [that’s what we’re looking at during the lockdown],” he added.According to Velasco, all of the SONA’s equipment have been thoroughly tested to avoid malfunctions.He said contingencies are also in place to ensure the smooth flow of the programs for the morning and afternoon sessions of Congress.Kunwari yung internet natin, tatlo o apat yung service providers natin para kapag pumalpak yang isa, meron tayong alternative,” Velasco said.[Translation: Our internet for example, we have three or four service providers so when one fails, we have an alternative.]
