The Presidential Security Group (PSG) is considering allowing only individuals who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to be present in President Duterte's State of the Nation Address (SONA).
PSG commander Brigadier General Jesus Durante III made the statement as preparations for President Duterte's sixth and final SONA next month.
In an interview with State-run PTV-4, Durante said they will eventually make a decision if they would allow only fully vaccinated guests at Batasang Pambansa.
"We will come into that," he said Friday, June 25.
According to Durante, the time will come when, eventually, all those approaching the President have to have completed their two doses of COVID-19 shots.
"Time will come, we will adjust to that na magre-require po tayo na lahat ng lalapit o dadalo sa mga events ni Pangulo ay fully vaccinated na (we will require that everyone approaching or attending the President's events should be fully vaccinated)," he said.
"For now, we still adhere and still implement itong mga health and security protocols natin (our health and security protocols)," he added.
Durante said the PSG has been preparing for Duterte's final SONA on July 26. 2021 since last month and were already at the second phase of their preparations.
"PSG started early on, as early as May, sa (the) security preparations for the President's SONA. We already conducted series of meetings with our counterparts, as well as we already conducted ocular and site inspections," he said.
Durante added that the PSG will soon be conducting simulation exercises involving the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).