Sara Duterte: Marcos’ SONA is a ‘waste of time’

Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, July 27, said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA) was a “waste of time” for Filipinos and that she had no plans to watch it. Speaking in a video shared by the Office of the Vice President, Duterte said she believed the SONA was a waste of the Filipino people’s time. Duterte, who ran as Marcos Jr.’s running mate in 2022, said she had asked Marcos for “two things” when she agreed to be his vice-presidential candidate, but these were not fulfilled. While she did not specify what these promises were, she pointed to Marcos’ campaign promise of P20-per-kilo rice and the jailing of personalities involved in flood control corruption before Christmas 2025. “Were they fulfilled? Nothing…. So why should you believe him and watch the SONA?” she said. The Marcos administration is currently implementing its “Bente Bigas Mo” program, where the National Food Authority (NFA) sells P20-rice in Kadiwa Centers, available only to vulnerable sectors. Regarding flood control corruption, two sets of cases were filed with the anti-graft Sandiganbayan in 2025 against former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co and his companions, and contractor Sarah Discaya. President Marcos, in his latest SONA, announced 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 Romualdez a “central figure” in the scandal and said he faced plunder and money laundering complaints. Surveys show that while Marcos remains unpopular, Duterte enjoys high trust ratings. As of June 29, a Social Weather Stations survey indicated a net satisfaction rating of +31 for the Vice President, compared to -7 for President Marcos Jr. Duterte also leads potential presidential bets for 2028 with 49% in a Pulse Asia Research poll. Duterte faces a threat to her presidential ambitions in her impeachment trial. Conviction would remove her from office and bar her from holding any government position, effectively ending her 2028 presidential bid. She has indicated she will not attend the trial, where she can be represented by her lawyers. Source: Rappler Philippines