Former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III will not be attending President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 23 for the third year in a row.
The House of Representatives’ Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Special Affairs Bureau (IPRSAB), which is in charge of invitations for SONA, confirmed that Aquino had informed them of his absence in the president’s SONA.
With Aquino’s absence, he is the only active former president who will not be attending the national event as former presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Joseph “Erap” Estrada have already confirmed their attendance.
Gloria Macapaga-Arroyo, meanwhile, will also be attending as a member of the House of Representatives.
In the past two SONAs, Aquino explained that he would rather stay home to watch the speech on television so he could focus on Duterte’s speech rather than attend the event and be distracted by comments from the guests.
As per SONA’s protocol and tradition, former presidents are invited to the national event alongside the Vice President, incumbent lawmakers and their partners, Cabinet members, and Supreme Court justices. Other guests are also sent invitation including members of the diplomatic corps.
IPRSAB confirmed that other officials who have confirmed their attendance include Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Rodredo, former Senate presidents Juan Ponce Enrile, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and Manny Villar, as well as former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.
