Former President Rodrigo Duterte, Vice President Sara Duterte and other members of the Duterte family holding high government positions were noticeably absent in the third State of the Nation Address (SoNA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday at Batasang Pambansa.
According to the former president’s ally and former aide, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, Duterte was in Davao City and had just returned from a visit to China.
“I’m not sure. I think he came from China. He’s kind of tired. He’s in Davao,” Go told reporters in an ambush interview when asked if the older Duterte would attend Marcos’ SoNA.
His eldest daughter, Vice President Duterte made good her declaration not to attend after declaring herself the “designated survivor,” an American political concept ensuring the presidential line of succession.
Davao City First District Representative Paolo Duterte was also absent at the opening of the third regular session of the 19th Congress. He was not seen attending the SoNA either.
Meanwhile, Senators Go and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, known allies of the former president, also skipped President Marcos’ SoNA.
In a Facebook post, Go shared a video of himself being assessed by a healthcare worker before having blood samples drawn. His caption stated that he was undergoing a medical check-up.
Marcos and Sara Duterte emerged as landslide winners under one ticket in the 2022 presidential and vice-presidential elections. Weeks before the SoNA, she resigned from the Marcos Cabinet as education secretary.
The Vice President earned the ire of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos for supposedly laughing at a joke delivered publicly by her father that the President was “bangag” or high on drugs.
Her siblings also took potshots at Marcos and his government.