Metro Manila, Philippines – Malacañang rejects the statements made by Vice President Sara Duterte after she described President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) as “a waste of time,” saying the annual address is a constitutional duty that deserves respect and urging Filipinos to stay informed about the country’s affairs.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, July 29, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the SONA is the president’s report to the nation on the administration’s accomplishments and priorities.
“Ang SONA, ito po ay paraan, ito ay ang pag-uulat ng Pangulo ng kaniyang naging accomplishments, kung ano pa ang gagawin ng gobyerno para sa taumbayan. Ito po ay base sa Konstitusyon. Ang hindi pagbibigay respeto sa SONA ay hindi pagrespeto sa Konstitusyon, hindi pagrespeto sa institusyon,” she said.
(Translation: The SONA is the President’s way of reporting his accomplishments and what the government still plans to do for the people. It is based on the Constitution. Failing to respect the SONA is failing to respect the Constitution and our institutions.)
Castro also warned against remaining uninformed about government programs.
“May mga tao na ang nais ay manatiling walang alam, mangmang ang mga kababayan. Mas madaling manipulahin ang mga taong walang alam.“
(Translation: Some people want Filipinos to remain uninformed. People who do not know the facts are easier to manipulate.)
She urged Filipinos to verify information and seek the truth.
“Sa mga kababayan natin lagi tayong maging mapanuri, obligasyon po nating alamin ang katotohanan at huwag tayong sumunod sa sinuman na nag-uudyok na manatili tayong mangmang sa katotohanan – mabubulag po tayo diyan,” the palace official added.
(Translation: “To our fellow Filipinos, let us always be discerning. It is our responsibility to know the truth and not follow anyone who encourages us to remain ignorant of it. We will only be blinded if we do.)
Castro made the remarks after Duterte said she did not watch Marcos’ fifth SONA and had no plans to read its transcript or summary.
“Hindi ako nanood ng SONA like last year at wala akong plano basahin ang nilalaman ng SONA o kahit man ng summary. Dahil I truly believe it is a waste of time of the Filipino people.”
(Translation: I did not watch the SONA like last year, and I have no plans to read its contents or even a summary because I truly believe it is a waste of the Filipino people’s time.)
The vice president also questioned Marcos’ anti-corruption campaign, saying she did not expect former House Speaker Martin Romualdez or other lawmakers to be jailed over the alleged flood control scandal.
Asked about Duterte’s comments doubting the president’s credibility, Castro dismissed them as baseless.
“Parang ito po iyong waste of time sagutin dahil sa walang basehan at walang kakuwenta-kuwentang mensahe. Alam po natin na lahat ng ito ay kasinungalingan.”
(Translation: Responding to that is itself a waste of time because those claims are baseless and meaningless. We know all of these are lies.)
