HEADS UP: Why the President’s Last SONA Matters (July 20)

Here’s a Heads Up from reporter on news that you need to know today, July 20:

POLITICS EXPLAINED

• The President’s last SONA is more than a valedictory address, it’s an attempt to define the conversation on their legacy while setting the tone for the following year’s elections.
• The Philippines has a history of prosecuting former presidents when they step down. Over the weekend, incumbent Rodrigo Duterte said he was considering running for vice president to continue enjoying immunity from suit.

2022 ELECTIONS

• Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto said he was not entertaining calls for him to run for higher office, even the presidency, as he is focused on his work in the city.
• Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri is running for reelection next year as an independent alongside other reelectionists and former senators.
• Duterte’s declaration that he would continue to be immune from suit should he win as vice president will be a question of jurisprudence, said the Palace.

NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Manila’s dolomite beach is open for a limited time until today. Here’s what you need to know.
• The Philippines is preparing for a possible surge driven by the Delta variant. Among priorities: stock up on oxygen, the DOH said. In Manila, all COVID patients are now required to quarantine in a government facility.
• Franz Orbos, the motorist who was caught cursing at traffic policemen, has apologized for his actions.
• A faster vaccine rollout, not Bayanihan 3, will help the Philippines’ credit ratings recover, Bangko Sentral Governor Benjamin Diokno said.
• Check out the interiors of the new Clark International Airport terminal, which will increase the capacity of Metro Manila’s alternate gateway.
• The start of the week will be rainy in large parts of Luzon as Severe Tropical Storm Fabian stirs the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat on its way out.
• Britain marked “Freedom Day” from COVID -- no more masks and restrictions on public gatherings.
• Epic floods in Europe have claimed an unlikely casualty -- a luxury chocolate factory in Belgium.
• Xiaomi has overtaken Apple to become the world’s second largest smartphone maker.
• While made of cardboard, beds at the Tokyo Olympics are sturdy, organizers said, after some athletes complained of the “anti-sex” build quality.