Vice President Sara Duterte announced on Thursday that she will not attend President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22.
"No, I will not attend the SONA," Duterte stated during the inauguration of the Child and Adolescent Neurodevelopment Center in Davao City. "I am appointing myself as the designated survivor."
In the United States, a "designated survivor" is a person kept away from significant events to ensure government continuity in a crisis. A similar bill was proposed by former Senator Panfilo Lacson in 2019 in the Philippines.
This marks the first time Duterte will skip Marcos' SONA. Manila Representative Joel Chua criticized her "designated survivor" comment, emphasizing the importance of the President's security. The Kabataan party-list also condemned her statement, labeling it as "delusional behavior."
Despite her decision, Duterte maintains a friendly personal relationship with President Marcos. She recently resigned from her post as Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), effective July 19, and as vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), citing genuine concern for teachers and students.
Three former Vice Presidents, Leni Robredo, Jejomar Binay, and Noli de Castro, will also not attend this year's SONA.
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