Vice President Sara Duterte plants a tree during the Department of Education Turnover Ceremony at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan, Department of Education Central Office in Pasig City on July 18, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATED) — Vice President Sara Duterte will not watch President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.'s State of the Nation Address (SONA) even remotely, her office said Monday. 

Duterte had earlier declined to attend the SONA in person as she "appointed" herself the "designated survivor."

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"The Vice President will not watch the SONA on TV or gadgets," the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said in a statement hours before Marcos delivers his third SONA.

The OVP said Duterte is in Bohol to "empathize with the Boholanos for the death of their Vice Governor."

Marcos and Duterte ran together in the 2022 elections  as a supposed "unity" ticket that would end polarization in Philippine politics.

The UniTeam alliance that had the support of the country's biggest political parties and clans began to show cracks over issues like charter change and foreign policy in the West Philippine Sea.

In an interview with local Bohol media, Duterte said that she is in currently in Bohol "to lighten, to uplift the mood of the Boholanos especially sa suspension ng kanilang mga duly elected officials,” said Duterte.

(I want to lighten, to uplift the mood of the Boholanos especially after the suspension of their duly elected officials).

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Monday is also Bohol Day or the charter day of the province.

“I am bringing a message of hope sa mga Boholanos na kaya natin pagtulungan at pagsikapan na maging maayos muli ang bayan natin,” Duterte further said.

(I am bringing a message of hope to Boholanos that we can help each other for the sake of our town.)

The OVP did not say whether Duterte plans to watch the SONA at all after her Bohol engagements.

Duterte resigned from the Marcos Cabinet last June after months of tension between the two powerful political clans and their supporters—and less than a year before the crucial 2025 midterm vote. — With a report from Annie Perez

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