Over Half of Senators Skip Marcos' SONA, Highlighting Political Divide

More than half of the members of the Senate did not attend the penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday. Three majority senators—Senate President Pro-Tempore Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Senators Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV—skipped this year’s SONA, with Sotto and Lacson citing medical conditions. “Bad colds. I don’t want to contaminate others. Taking meds thru IV so I can work tomorrow,” Sotto told reporters in a Viber message. Meanwhile, Senator Camille Villar was the only member of the Senate Minority bloc who attended Marcos’ annual report to the nation. Most Minority senators skipped the event, citing dissatisfaction over the detention of several opposition lawmakers. They were Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Senators Imee Marcos, Loren Legarda, Pia Cayetano, Robinhood Padilla, Christopher Lawrence“Bong” Go, and Mark Villar. Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta were likewise unable to attend due to their detention over separate plunder charges. Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has stayed out of public view following the issuance of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him over his alleged role in the Duterte administration’s bloody drug war. 'Protest' Caeytano earlier explained he would skip the SONA as a “simple way of protesting.” “Hindi pa kami nag-uusap lahat. Ako mas preference ko siguro panoorin na lang sa TV. Baka mas komportable din yung administrasyon that way and it's my simple way of protesting pati sa pagbla-black,” Cayetano said. (The minority have yet to talk; I prefer to just watch it on TV. That may be more comfortable for the administration, and that, as well as wearing black, is my simple way of protesting.) “Unlike in 1986-87, na ramdam talaga na may question of democracy. Ngayon, siyempre it's more of poverty, economy at saka yung corruption. But I really believe that our democracy is in danger and talagang pag nagsalita ka, target ka bigla,” he added. (Unlike in 1986-1987, when the question of democracy is felt, now the issues are more on poverty, economy, and corruption. But I really believe that our democracy is in danger and that if you speak against the administration, you will be targeted.) —VAL, GMA News