SONA guests free to wear any color – Palace

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang assured lawmakers, government officials and other guests that they could wear any color they want during the 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Aquino at the Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City on Monday.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte made clear yesterday that the Palace has not imposed on guests that they wear yellow ribbons, which Aquino uses in all his functions. Most Cabinet members have, however, been wearing yellow ribbons after Aquino encouraged supporters to again display the ribbons.

Critics of Aquino had urged their followers to wear peach for the anti-Disbursement Acceleration Program groups, while members of the judiciary vowed to wear black and red shirts to protest the bullying by the administration on the judiciary after the Supreme Court recently declared the DAP unconstitutional.

“Malaya naman lahat (everybody is free). Everyone is free to wear the color that would flatter their figures, let’s put it  that way,” Valte said when asked whether yellow would be the color of the SONA.

For the last four years, and starting from the May 2010 presidential campaign, Aquino has been wearing the iconic yellow ribbon of his late parents Ninoy and Cory, but has never placed on his shirt a pin bearing the Philippine flag.

With 240 out of the 290-member House of Representatives belonging to the administration coalition, and with most of the 24 senators being administration allies, the peach-black color of President Aquino’s critics could be overwhelmed.

But after the World Bank event last week, where Aquino hinted that they would be checking whether he still enjoys popular support from the masses who were urged to wear yellow ribbons, Valte said the Cabinet members have decided among themselves to wear yellow ribbons with a flag pin.

“Meron kasing nagbigay ng yellow ribbon na merong (somebody gave away yellow ribbons with a) Philippine flag. So most of them (Cabinet members) chose to wear that one,” she disclosed. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Jaime Laude, Rhodina Villanueva, Reinir Padua