Don't look now, but there's still no fixed site for presumptive president Bongbong Marcos's anticipated inauguration on June 30, 2022.
"Mindful naman tayo na tayo ay nasa gitna parin pandemya (We're mindful that we're still in a pandemic)," Marcos spokesperson and chief-of-staff, lawyer Vic Rodriguez told reporters in a press conference Tuesday, May 17 at the BBM headquarters in Mandaluyong City.
"We're looking at the traditional venue where the inaugural of all past Philippine presidents are usually held at yan nga ay doon sa (and that is at the) Quirino grandstand. At alam din naman natin na mayroong quarantine facility doon so hindi pa talaga napapag-usapan (We know that there's a quarantine facility there so it really hasn't been discussed yet)," he noted.
According to him, only "informal" talks about the inauguration have been held, pending further action by the transition team from Malacañang.
"Ang desisyon at ang naging pasya ng transition team ng Malacañang sa pamumuno ng Executive Secretary Medialdea ay antayin natin mabuksan yung Kongreso at simulan yun official canvass at pormal na ma-proklama si President-elect Bongbong at si Vice President-elect Sara Duterte (The decision of Malacañang's transition team led by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea is to wait for Congress to open and begin its official canvass in order to formally declare President-elect Bongbong and Vice President-elect Sara Duterte)," he said.
"For now on hold muna yung pag-uusap (the talks are on hold) but informally yes we're discussing possible sites for the inauguration," Rodriguez further said.
Marcos's inauguration will have been the first to be held during a pandemic.
Asked if there are any monitored security threats on the day of inauguration, Rodriguez said: "Wala naman kaming nakikitang (We don't see any) security issue except of course it comes with the position ."
Is his native province of Ilocos Norte a possible inauguration site?
"We haven't narrowed down the options for where to hold the inauguration again because we defer to the wisdom of the Executive Secretary Medialdea that we all have to wait for the official canvass to begin and for President-elect Bongbong to be officially proclaimed by the joint House of Congress," the Marcos mouthpiece said.