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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider House to reserve VIP seat for VP Sara despite sending regrets for SONA 2025

House to reserve VIP seat for VP Sara despite sending regrets for SONA 2025

Published Jun 19, 2025 01:44 pm

At A Glance

  • The House of Representatives has received information that Vice President Sara Duterte won't be attending President Marcos' fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28.
Vice President Sara Duterte (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Vice President Sara Duterte (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The House of Representatives has received information that Vice President Sara Duterte won't be attending President Marcos' fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28.
But just the same, Secretary General Reginald Velasco told reporters Thursday, June 19 that the House would reserve a seat for the Vice President at the VIP gallery should she change her mind.
We have received a letter from the office that she is not attending. But we are not excluding the possibility that she will attend, no? So there will be a seat for her reserved at the center of the gallery, no? The VIP gallery, Velasco said, in what could be a repeat of the scenario last year involving the lady official.
So if she decides to come, there will be a seat for her and her immediate staff...We will designate a holding room, for our Vice President and her staff, as we have done in the past, he said.
VIP stands for very important person.
Although they ran and won together as political allies in 2022, Vice President Duterte has turned into a staunch critic of President Marcos.
The Vice President is also not in good terms with Speaker Martin Romualdez, the leader of the House of Representatives, which hosts the annual SONA.
We received it (Vice President's regrets) after we have sent all the formal invitations. We call them institutional guests, heads of agencies, constitutional commissions, our justices of the Supreme Court (SC) and including the Office of the Vice President (OVP), explained Velasco, the highest-ranked civilian official in the House.
As for the reason why the Vice President was skipping the event, Velasco said the House don't really ask for any reason.
But be that as it may, we are prepared for her attendance, no? So we will reserve a seat for her at the VIP gallery and a holding room for her and her immediate staff, he reiterated.
He says only Vice President Duterte has declined a SONA invitation so far.
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