Office of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Responds To House’s Invitation for Marcos Jr.’s 4th SONA
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President intends to skip the 4th State of the Nation (SONA) of President Bongbong Marcos but the House maintained they will still reserve a seat.
In 2024, Vice Pres. Duterte skipped the 3rd SONA of Pres. Bongbong Marcos. Then, the relationship between the highest and the second-highest officials in the Philippine government have already turned sour. The Vice President has thrown tirades against Marcos Jr. and his administration multiple times.
However, it seems that the same scenario will take place in the 4th SONA of Pres. Bongbong Marcos. Based on a report on Inquirer, House Secretary General relayed the response of the Office of the Vice President to the invitation to the event.
The House Secretary General’s Office sent out the invitation to the 4th SONA of Pres. Bongbong Marcos to the government officials and the other dignitaries. Based on the report, shortly after the invitations were out, the OVP sent a letter to the House Secretary General informing them that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte will not attend the annual address of the Chief Executive before a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
According to House Secretary Gen. Reginald Velasco, the OVP did not state the reason why Vice Pres. Duterte won’t be present at the 4th SONA of Pres. Marcos on July 28. Based on the report, the Vice President is so far the only one who has declined the invitation to the annual address of the President as all the rest showed “positive indications that they are all coming”.
Meanwhile, based on the report, event if the OVP has informed the House that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte will not be attending the 4th SONA of Pres. Bongbong Marcos, the House will reserve a seat for her. They also intend to allot a holding room for her and her staff in case she would change her mind over the matter.
According to Velasco, they are not excluding the possibility that Vice Pres. Duterte may change her mind and decide to attend to the annual address. The House Secretary General said the seat that will be reserved for the Vice President will be at the center of the VIP gallery.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is faced with a looming impeachment trial. The presiding offer of the impeachment court and the senator judges have already taken their oath. However, unexpectedly, the Senate impeachment court ruled to return Duterte’s impeachment to the House of Representatives which Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero claimed does not equate to the dismissal of the impeachment case.