Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday, July 11, 2024, said she will not attend the third State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 22.

“No. I will not attend the SONA,” Duterte said during the inauguration of the Child and Adolescent Neurodevelopment Center at a hospital in Davao City.

“I am appointing myself as the designated survivor,” she added.

In the US government, a ‘designated survivor’ is a person who is kept at a separate location to ensure that someone will assume the presidency in case all high-ranking officials face a catastrophic incident while they gather in a big event.

The Philippine government, on the other hand, follows the presidential line of succession based on the 1987 constitution.

This will be the first time that Duterte would skip the SONA amid the political conflict between the Duterte and the Marcos families.

Duterte was the running mate of Marcos during the 2022 presidential elections and she became part of the cabinet later.

However, the vice president resigned recently as secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) effective July 19, 2024. She said meetings have continued for the transition period for the new secretary of DepEd, Senator Sonny Angara.

Sara said Angara has already requested for an audience and this would possibly take place a day before the turnover on July 18.

“Padayon kada adlaw ang mga biddings kung kinsa ang ginapatawag ni Secretary Angara sa mga Usec, sa mgaAse, ug sa mga lain-laing strands sa Department of Education ug very cooperative mi sa iyang ginapangayo nga data and kung unsa man ang ilahang mga request sa amoa nga makatabang para sa ilahang pagsulod as new secretary of education,” Duterte said.

It can also be recalled that Sara did not also attend the opening ceremony of the Palarong Pambansa 2024 that Marcos opened in Cebu City on July 9, 2024.