ELECTED officials like Vice President Sara Duterte have the right whether to attend President Bongbong Marcos’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) or not.
This was stated by Political Strategist Malou Tiquia in an exclusive interview on DZAR Sonshine Radio.
Tiquia emphasized that it is wrong to judge the vice president and say she has no right to do so.
And that if VP Sara chooses not to attend, her decision should be respected.
The political strategist also highlighted that this is not the first time in the Philippines that a vice president has skipped the SONA.
“It’s not the first time, during Vice President Laurel’s time, when they were no longer friends with President Cory Aquino, the vice president decided not to attend. She wasn’t asked. She was respected because people knew what was happening. Let’s flashback now, don’t people know what’s happening now? Isn’t it… awkward for her to go there and smile and pretend?” Malou Tiquia Political Strategist said.
Therefore, Tiquia appealed to congressmen allegedly pressuring VP Sara to respect her decision not to attend the SONA.
Meanwhile, Tiquia countered the statement of lawmaker Rep. Jay-jay Suarez after he said that VP Sara’s statement showed a lack of maturity.
The vice president previously stated that she designated herself as a “designated survivor.”
“Let me correct that, it’s not a sign of immaturity if you do not attend the SONA. There’s one congressman who said, ‘What kind of leadership is that, that’s not a mature leader.’ Does he know the basis of maturity, it’s in the actions taken to address our country’s problems. It’s not in words,” according to Tiquia.
Tiquia also provided her own perspective on why VP Sara’s statement about being a “designated survivor” caused a stir or had a significant impact on many.
“Maybe they were surprised. The designated survivor can have several interpretations. It could be a joke. Second, it could be sarcasm from her part. Third, she wanted, just to say, that she really survived for two years. She’s designated because 32 million people voted for her. So what’s wrong with that,” she stated.
Meanwhile, according to Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Garafil, Marcos Jr. is currently focused on finalizing his upcoming SONA on Monday, July 22 of this year.
