Former President Rodrigo Duterte will not attend the third State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Batasang Pambansa on Monday, July 22, 2024. (FILE PHOTO FROM BONG GO FACEBOOK PAGE)
MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte will not attend the third State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Sen. Bong Go confirmed this information on Monday, hours before Duterte’s successor delivered his Sona at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
“Nasa Davao eh (He’s in Davao),” Go told reporters in an ambush interview when asked if the former chief executive would attend the event.
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In 2023, Duterte also skipped Marcos’ Sona for the same reason.
“I’m not sure. I think he came from China. He’s kind of tired. He’s in Davao,” Go told reporters minutes before the Senate opened the second regular session of the 19th Congress last year.
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Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, will also miss this year’s Sona of her 2022 running mate.
She did not detail why she decided to skip Marcos’ Sona for the first time since they won the national elections. Instead, she boldly announced that she was designating herself as the “designated survivor.”