Former Vice President Leni Robredo will not attend the second State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 24.
Robredo was Marcos’ main rival in the 2022 presidential election, which the latter won by a wide margin.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said they had invited previous presidents, vice presidents, and leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives, but Robredo declined.
Robredo, in a message to reporters, clarified that she would skip this year’s SONA due to prior commitments.
Former presidents Rodrigo Duterte, Joseph Estrada, and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is currently a deputy speaker in the House of Representatives, have all confirmed their attendance.
More than 2,000 guests are expected to gather at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City to hear Marcos’ report to the nation after his first year in office and the measures that he wants Congress to pass.
