Sara Duterte says Marcos SONA ‘a waste of time’

IN THE HAGUE. Vice President Sara Duterte during an interview in The Hague, Netherlands on Monday, July 27, 2026, The Vice President is overseas for official and personal engagements – in the middle of her impeachment trial MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte said on Monday, July 27, that she didn’t watch nor plans to “waste” her time on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA). Duterte said this in response to questions in a chance interview with her supporters and others in The Hague, the Netherlands, a video of which was shared by the Office of the Vice President to the media. “Hindi ako nanonood ng SONA like last year and wala akong plano basahin ang nilalaman ng SONA o kahit man lang summary. Dahil I truly believe it is a waste of time of the Filipino people,” the Vice President said. (I did not watch SONA like last year and I have no plans of reading the contents of the SONA, or even the summary. Because I truly believe it is a waste of time of the Filipino people.) Duterte left the country on July 21, while her impeachment trial was in full swing, for “official foreign travel and personal engagements” that includes stops in Qatar and the United Kingdom. Manila Representative Bienvenido Abante had earlier criticized her for prioritizing the overseas trip over personally appearing at her impeachment trial. The Vice President last attended Marcos’ SONA in 2023, when she was still part of the Cabinet and the Marcos-Duterte alliance — forged during the 2022 elections where they ran in tandem — showed cracks but was still intact. Duterte started skipping the SONA in 2024, following her resignation as education secretary and her official split with the Marcos government. It was during this time when she deadpanned that she was not attending the SONA as she had appointed herself as the “designated survivor,” amid Marcos ouster rumors. Promises The Vice President said in The Hague that she had asked Marcos for “two things” when she agreed to be his running mate in 2022, but they were not fulfilled. She did not say what these were but weeks before the official start of the 2022 campaign, Marcos had said that Duterte wanted to be defense chief — a job that eventually went to Gilberto Teodoro Jr. She then pointed to two Marcos pronouncements: a campaign promise for P20-per kilo of rice and personalities in flood control corruption jailed before Christmas 2025. “Tinupad ba o hindi? Wala…. So bakit pa kayo naniniwala at nanonood ng SONA?” she said. (Were they fulfilled? Nothing…. So why should you believe him and watch the SONA?) The Marcos administration is currently implementing its “Bente Bigas Mo” program where the National Food Authority is selling P20-rice in Kadiwa Centers. This is available only to vulnerable sectors like indigents, senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities, and minimum wage earners. Meanwhile, the Office of the Ombudsman filed two set of cases with the anti-graft Sandiganbayan over the flood control corruption in 2025 — cases against former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co and companions, and contractor Sarah Discaya. Co’s companions were arrested in November, while Discaya was nabbed the following month. Marcos, the country’s 17th president, started his penultimate address on Monday by announcng that his cousin, former speaker Martin Romualdez, was set to be charged in connection with flood control corruption. The Office of the Ombudsman had deemed the Leyte congressman as a “central figure” in the scandal and said he faced plunder and money laundering complaints. Marcos, who continues to have low public approval and trust ratings, announced consumer-centered programs in his latest SONA, such as a call to Congress to stop electricity distributors from making consumers pay for system losses, as well as tax relief measures, among others. (READ: EXPLAINER: What is system loss, and how does it affect your power bill?) Trust ratings, trial While Marcos is less popular to the public, Duterte is enjoying a double-digit trust ratings. As of June 29, the Vice President enjoys a net satisfaction rating of +31, compared to Marcos Jr.’s -7, based on a Social Weather Stations survey. “Nagpapasalamat ako sa patuloy na pagtitiwala ng ating mga kababayan sa akin, sa aking mga kasamahan sa OVP, at syempre sa aming opisina (I am thankful for the continued trust of our fellow countrymen to me, our colleagues from the OVP, and of course to our office),” the Vice President said in The Hague. Duterte also leads possible presidential bets in 2028, if elections were during during the pre-impeachment trial survey period of Pulse Asia Research, Incorporated, at 49% A threat to Duterte’s presidential ambition is her impeachment trial. If convicted, the Vice President will be removed from office and will be barred from holding any government position. This means she cannot run for the 2028 presidential elections or any other elective position. Duterte has indicated that she will not attend her impeachment trial where she can be represented by her lawyers, as provided by rules. The only time she visited the Senate was on July 7, where she delivered her one-line statement to the media. At the time, OVP Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez had been subpoenaed as a hostile witness in the trial, but was later dropped by the prosecution. – Rappler.com How does this make you feel? Loading