Vice President Sara Duterte will not be attending President Marcos’ third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22, marking the first time she has missed her 2022 running-mate’s annual report to the nation.
The country’s second-highest-ranking official said this in a media interview in Davao City on Thursday, July 11, as she is rendering her last week of service as the Department of Education (DepEd) secretary.
“No. I will not attend the SONA,” Duterte said during the inauguration of the Child and Adolescent Neurodevelopment Center at a hospital in Davao City.
“I am appointing myself as the designated survivor,” the Vice President added.
In the United States, a designated survivor is someone asked to sit out of the events while the nation’s leaders are gathered and take over the presidency should a catastrophic event cause everyone in the line of succession to become incapacitated.
Former Senator Panfilo Lacson submitted a bill akin to that here in the Philippines in 2019.
Apart from Duterte, past vice presidents Leni Robredo, Jejomar Binay, and Noli de Castro won’t be present for the SONA.
Duterte’s non-attendance at the SONA scheduled for next week would fuel more rumors of the division among the UniTeam tandem underlining the Marcos administration.
Under the “UniTeam” alliance, Duterte was Marcos’ running mate in the 2022 elections.
Later on, Marcos designated her secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).
Duterte occupied this role until last month, when she made the decision to resign.
Duterte claimed her resignation was motivated by concern for teachers and children rather than by weakness.
The Vice President also clarified that she remains “friendly” with the President even though she left the Marcos Cabinet.
However, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos said in April that she harbored negative sentiments toward Duterte following the latter’s family’s drug allegations against the President. (TCSP)
