A lawmaker has called Vice President Sara Duterte's announcement of not attending President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s Third State of the Nation Address (SONA) and appointing herself as the 'designated survivor' a 'bad joke.' Duterte made known her plan to skip the SONA on Thursday during an event in Davao City.

San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan Rep. Florida Robes further added that Duterte's announcement was 'done in poor taste that one would expect from a Marites (rumormonger), and not from the second highest official of the land.' Robes said that tradition and etiquette dictates that the vice president should be at the SONA.