MANILA, Philippines (Updated 3:57 p.m.) — Vice President Sara Duterte has declared her intention to avoid watching President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA), even remotely.
In a statement posted by news organization Valiente News and shared on Duterte’s official Facebook page on Monday, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said that she is in Bohol at present. The Facebook post was already taken down.
Facebook/Inday Sara Duterte
The OVP later on posted the same statement on its official Facebook page.
“The Vice President will not watch the SONA on TV or gadgets. She is currently in Bohol to empathize with the Boholanos for the death of their Vice Governor, as well as to uplift the general mood of the people brought about by the suspension of their duly-elected local officials,” the statement said.
Bohol Vice Gov. Dionisio Victor Balite passed away on July 17. He was 52.
The Office of the Ombudsman has suspended Bohol Gov. Aris Aumentado and 68 others in connection with the controversial Captain’s Peak Resort in the Chocolate Hills.
To recall, Duterte told reporters last Thursday that she would be in the OVP in Manila during the president’s SONA. Bohol media was the first to report Duterte’s presence there before the OVP confirmed it in a statement.
Duterte had previously distanced herself from Marcos’ Cabinet, resigning from her positions as education secretary and co-vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
The Palace stated that Duterte did not provide a reason for her resignation, but the vice president herself mentioned it was for the benefit of her constituents.
Recently, Duterte attracted attention by appointing herself as the “designated survivor,” a vague remark that some interpreted as a possible threat.
Marcos is scheduled to deliver his third State of the Nation Address later this afternoon.
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