House Secretary General Speaks on VP Sara Duterte over Pres. Bongbong Marcos’ Upcoming 4th SONA
SARA DUTERTE – The House Secretary General said they will still reserve a seat for the Vice President despite her decision not to attend Pres. Bongbong Marcos’ 4th SONA (State of the Nation Address).
In 2024, one of the known political personalities who were not able to attend the 3rd SONA of Pres. Bongbong Marcos was Vice Pres. Duterte. Prior to it, amid the souring relationship between her and the Chief Executive, Duterte already said that she won’t attend the annual address.
The OVP also said that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte will not watch the 3rd SONA of Pres. Marcos on TV or gadgets. It earned different reactions from the people. However, it seems like the same thing is set to happen this July 28.
According to House Secretary General Reginald Velasco, the Office of the Vice President has informed them through a letter that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte will not attend the 4th SONA of Pres. Bongbong Marcos. The response of the OVP came shortly after the House SecGen’s office released the invitations for the government officials and the dignitaries.
Velasco said the OVP did not state the reason why Duterte intends to skip the 4th annual address of the President. According to the House Secretary General, the OVP is the only one with a negative response to the invitations sent out for Marcos Jr.’s 4th SONA as for all other invitees, they “received positive indications that they are all coming”.
Meanwhile, based on a report on Inquirer, despite the Office of the Vice President informing the House Secretary General’s Office that Duterte won’t be attending the annual address, Velasco said they will still reserve a seat for her. They even intend to still prepare a holding room for her and her staff in case the Vice President changes her mind.
“[We] are not excluding the possibility that she will attend. So there will be a seat for her reserved at the center of the gallery, the VIP gallery […], in fact we will designate a holding room for our Vice President and her staff, as we have done in the past,” the House SecGen said.
The soured relationship between Vice Pres. Duterte and Pres. Marcos was even triggered by the recent arrest of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte as well as the transfer of his custody to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Previously, the Vice President expressed sarcasm that she and her father were able to mend their ties in The Hague while he is in ICC detention and she has the President to thank for it.