MALOLOS CITY— President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo need not go to Congress to deliver her last State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, a party-list representative said.
Rep. Nery Colmenares of Bayan Muna party-list said the President can deliver her last SONA at Malacanang or just face television cameras.
"She need not go to Congress to deliver her SONA, she can do it at Malacanang or just face camera for national television," Colmenares said.
He explained that the law does not necessarily require the President to deliver her SONA in Congress and described the possible content of the President’s annual address as "another set of lies."
"She can spare us all the stress by not going to Congress," said Colmenares, the third nominee of Bayan Muna party list that made it to the current Congress.
He jokingly added, "baka mahawa pa kami ng A H1N1 sa kanya pag nagpunta siya sa Congress."
As a member of the opposition, he said that he and his colleagues will not attend the opening of Congress on Monday as a symbol of protest.
With regards to rumors that Congress will be convened into a Constituent Assembly after the President’s SONA, he said that he doubted it.
"The majority promised us that they will not convene Congress into a Con Ass on Monday and even if they do it, they can’t approve their proposed amendment to the Constitution just like that," he said.
Colmenares noted that it will take days and weeks to finalize the final form of the constitutional amendments.
He also said that the administration has until January next year to hold a plebiscite amending the Constitution.
They have to complete the amendments in Congress, then go to the Comelec and Supreme Court before holding the plebiscite," he said.
Colmenares said that they will continue to challenge the proposed amendments to Supreme Court.
