Palace on Imee, Alan boycott: 'Hindi sila kawalan'

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang brushed off the planned absence of some Senate minority senators from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s 5th State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 27. "Hindi sila kawalan. Matutuloy at matutuloy ang SONA kahit wala sila," Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said hours before the president's address. (They are no loss. The SONA will push through even without them.) Castro said what matters in the SONA is the president's presence, his message and the people interested in listening to it. Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen. Imee Marcos earlier said they would skip the SONA in protest over what they described as the jailing and cases faced by members of their bloc. Both senators wore black to the Senate session hours before the speech. Cayetano said he preferred to watch the address on television, calling his absence and black outfit his "simple way of protesting." Cayetano is scheduled to deliver the minority's kontra-SONA on Tuesday.