President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed dismay after learning that tarpaulins for his upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) were being put up while communities across the Philippines were grappling with severe flooding.
Speaking from Washington D.C. on Tuesday, the President said he was caught off guard by the move, calling it “an unfortunate misjudgment.”
“It was a surprise. I only found out early this morning when I got up. That’s what they’re doing,” he said during a press conference at Blair House.
Marcos stressed the timing was unacceptable given the current situation back home. “It is highly inappropriate… Baha na nga, bakit pa kayo maglalagay diyan?” he said.
He added that the matter has already been addressed. “That is an unfortunate misjudgment on their part, but we’ve corrected it, and I trust it will not happen anymore.”
The President’s remarks come after Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin issued a memorandum earlier this week, suspending all SONA-related preparations due to the widespread impact of relentless rains and flooding in various parts of the country.
