The last? Yes, her last - the ninth - since taking over as Chief Executive in 2001, and her election
in 2004 as president.
I am saying this in spite of the heavy betting among skeptics versus fanatics. At stake: There will be another SoNA that she will deliver in 2010 - as prime minister.
I admit I am gullible when it comes to presidential promises. When she announced in Baguio City in December, 2002 that she would not seek reelection, I declared in this column that she would honor her word.
But what is different this time is that it is only her official family (and biological, too!) that is insisting she would step down in June this year. Nary a word from her.
Will she reiterate in her SoNA on Monday what her Cabinet and congressmen-sons claim of her ending her term 11 months from now?
I am also staking my neck out over a lunch bet to colleagues in the Commonwealth Caucus - a Friday coffee group - that she will do just that on Monday. Yes, you can call me a sucker of presidential promises!
What are the other announcements to be expected?
Here are chapters of my speculative scenario that will unfold at the Plenary Session Hall of the House of Representatives Monday afternoon:
The President will direct attention to her expertise in governance - economics. And how the country is making wonders in its economic strides, in spite of the pernicious economies that are crippling many of our ASEAN neighbors.
Is that not clear enough to all and sundry that the country still needs her to steer our voyage to Paradise (exactly the word she used in last year's SoNA)?
When the president of the land promises her domain to bring them all to Paradise, can my coffee-addict colleagues blame me for being gullible twice over of presidential promises?
Now, how long will President Arroyo's 2009 SoNA last? Forty-five minutes. It will be longer than last year's 36 minutes.
