Palace exec: Aquino stayed past midnight Friday on SONA draft

President Benigno Aquino III stayed past midnight on Friday to work on the final draft of his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), a Malacañang official said on Monday. Aquino also reviewed the SONA during the weekend, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III said. "Nag-review siya nung weekend, kaunting pahinga," Quezon said in an interview on dzBB radio. He said the draft completed after midnight Friday was the likely the final one. He said Aquino wanted the SONA speech to be"malinis at maganda." When asked if Aquino had a chance to rehearse the SONA speech, Quezon said "opo... hands-on siya." Quezon declined to give details of the speech but said it will give Filipinos an idea of where they are and what they can expect. "Ngayon maasahan natin ang speech sa araw na ito ano ang kalagayan natin at ano ang matatanaw," he said. - VVP, GMA News