The two men seated behind him during the 2025 SONA won't make a comeback on that stage this year. It's a testament to the political upheaval that has reshaped both chambers of Congress over the past year.
When President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) in end-July, he will face a legislative branch that has gone through turmoil in the past year, and he will continue to grapple with his waning — and sometimes underutilized — influence.
On the surface, Congress’ turnaround rate on Marcos’ pet bills this year doesn’t paint a flattering picture. Excluding his inaugural SONA in 2022, this will be the first time he takes the podium with only one priority measure enacted that he can point to as an accomplishment.
That means that out of 52 bills identified as a priority by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council, only one — the resetting of the Bangsamoro elections — was signed into law.
That is unlike in previous years, when anywhere from six to 21 pet bills hurdled the legislative branch by the time of his address to the Filipino public. The SONA, after all, is the biggest stage to tout the achievements of his administration.
