Vice President Sara Duterte will skip the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on July 28.
Thus said House Secretary General Reginald Velasco, saying “We received this note [from her office] that she won’t be attending this SONA.”
In case Duterte changes her mind, Velasco said the House is still prepared to receive the Vice President.
“We are not excluding the possibility that she will attend,” Velasco said.
“There will be a seat reserved for her at the center of the [House plenary] gallery, the VIP gallery. If she decides to come, there will be a seat for her,” he added.
This year’s SONA will be the second time that Duterte, who is facing an impeachment trial at the Senate, will skip the event. Last year, she did not attend the SONA.
The President’s SONA in July will be his fourth since he assumed office on June 30, 2022.
