Vice President Sara Duterte announced on Thursday that she will not attend President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA), marking the first time she has missed the event since their terms began. Duterte made this declaration during an impromptu interview at a Davao City event, stating, “No, I will not attend the SONA. I am appointing myself as the designated survivor.”
In a similar practice to that in the United States, a designated survivor in the Philippines is someone in the presidential line of succession who remains isolated during major events to ensure continuity of government in the event of a catastrophe. According to the Philippine Constitution, the line of succession follows from the president to the vice president, and then to the Senate president and the speaker of the House of Representatives.
House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco noted that no formal notice had been received from Duterte regarding her attendance at the SONA scheduled for July 22.
Duterte was also notably absent from the opening ceremony of the Palarong Pambansa 2024 on July 9, where President Marcos delivered a speech. Instead, Duterte visited injured student-athletes at a hospital to “boost their morale,” as stated by Department of Education Spokesperson Michael Poa.
The Palarong Pambansa event is one of Duterte’s final engagements as the head of the Department of Education, a role she resigned from on June 19. President Marcos, commenting on her resignation, mentioned that Duterte did not provide a reason and requested not to discuss the matter.
Tensions between the Marcos and Duterte families have been evident since 2023, following Congress’ denial of Duterte’s request for confidential and intelligence funds. Disagreements have also surfaced over President Marcos’ stance on China’s actions in the West Philippine Sea.
The conflict extended to public accusations, with former President Rodrigo Duterte and Marcos accusing each other of involvement with illegal substances. Additionally, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos acknowledged that her relationship with the vice president had deteriorated due to Duterte’s participation in rallies against Marcos.
