Vice President Sara Duterte has informed the House of Representatives that she will not be attending President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) scheduled for July 28, 2025, according to House Secretary General Reginald Velasco.
In a report by RH Milky Rigonan, Velasco confirmed that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) sent a formal letter notifying the House of her absence even before the official invitations were distributed to top government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, and other VIP guests.
“We have received a letter from the Office of the Vice President that she is not attending,” Velasco said in a press brifing on Thursday, June 19.
"But we are not excluding the possibility that she will attend, there will still be a seat reserved for her at the center of the VIP gallery. A holding room will also be designated for her and her staff, as we have done in previous SONAs," he added.
Despite the formal notice of non-attendance, the House is preparing for her possible arrival with seats in the VIP gallery and dedicated facilities made ready should she change her mind.
“We received the notice after we had sent all the formal invitations. We call them institutional guests which include heads of agencies, constitutional commissions, Supreme Court justices, and the Office of the Vice President,” Velasco added.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is ramping up preparations for Marcos' SONA.
The Presidential Security Command, together with the staff of the Office of the House Secretary General, has conducted an ocular inspection of the Batasang Pambansa complex.
He emphasized the chamber’s goal of a safe and smooth event consistent with how the past three SONAs have been conducted.
In addition, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte remains among the invited guests to the upcoming SONA.
"Lahat ng former presidents will be sent this invitation. So former President Rodrigo Duterte will be one of them," he said, while there is no official word yet on whether he will attend.
"I think we will use all the channels possible so that he can receive this invitation. Pero syempre alam natin ang sitwasyon ngayon," he added.
The former president is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands, facing charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with alleged crimes against humanity during his administration’s controversial war on drugs.
While his attendance at the SONA is highly unlikely due to his current legal situation, the House maintained that the invitation stands as a matter of official protocol and respect for the office he once held.
