Vice President Sara Duterte

The House of Representatives will still reserve a seat for Vice President Sara Duterte in case she changes her mind and attends President Marcos' third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22. 

Thus, said House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco on Thursday afternoon, July 11 after he was told by reporters that the Vice President had said that she would skip the event. 

"Hindi naman namin tatanggalan [ng upuan] dahil mayroon pong mga guest kami, last minute, nagre--reconfirn na , 'Oy, tuloy pala ako,' ganun. We reserve a seat for her, regardless," Velasco said. 

(We won't remove her seat because we've had guests that reconfirmed at the last minute, "Hey, I'm coming after all." We reserve a seat for her, regardless.) 

This is consistent with Velaaco's earlier pronouncement that VIPs (very important persons) can decide up until the day of the SONA whether or not they would attend. 

Earleir Thursday, Vice President Duterte told reporters in a chance interview that she doesn't plan to attend the SONA at Batasang Pambansa Complex, home of the House of Representatives, this year. 

Velasco says they are contacting her office for official confirmation. 

"Kahit na sabihing ganun, we still reserve a seat for her just in case may last-minute decision siya. Ganun kasi yung treatment namin to any guest eh, especially mga VIP." 

(But even if she says that, we still reserve a seat for her just in case she makes a last-minute decision. That's how we treat any guest, especially VIPs.) 

President Marcos will deliver his SONA inside the plenary hall of Batasang Pambansa Complex. Plenary doors will be shut at 3 p.m.