VICE President Sara Duterte revealed that she would not be attending the fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the second time around. This time, it is because she will be traveling back to the Philippines in time for the Sona.
“Hindi [No]. During the Sona, I'll be traveling back to the Philippines. It's the travel date from Korea,” she said during a media interview on July 9, 2025, at The Hague, Netherlands.
Although she did not detail the trip, she said that July 28 is her scheduled flight from South Korea to the Philippines.
The vice president also revealed that there is a Filipino community event in South Korea on July 27 and that she was invited as the speaker. She said she confirmed her attendance since she also wanted to thank the Filipino community there.
“But when we receive invitations, we really try to accommodate it so that we can personally thank everyone she said,” Duterte said.
“I do not intend to attend the State of the Nation Address of President Marcos since I don’t think he will be providing anything substantial about our country,” she said.
A month after resigning as secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) in 2024, Duterte did not attend the president’s Sona. It was the first time Duterte skipped Sona. During that time, she was appointing herself as the “designated survivor.”
Duterte has been on several overseas trips recently to thank Filipinos abroad for supporting her family, specifically when her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte was taken to The Hague, Netherlands. RGP
