Vice President Leni Robredo, the de-facto leader of the Philippine opposition, watched online as President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his sixth and final State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Clad in a blue Filipiñana dress, Robredo posted a photo on Facebook of herself on Monday, July 26, sitting on a couch, watching Duterte’s speech from her laptop.

“SONA 2021 about to start,” the Vice President wrote in the caption.

During the SONA proper, Duterte looked for Robredo at the Batasan as he discussed infrastructure projects in Sorsogon and other provinces that he wants his government to prioritize over his hometown Davao City. Duterte mistakenly thought the Vice President was from Sorsogon province. 

Robredo, however, hails from Camarines Sur, where she served as congresswoman of its 3rd District from 2013 to 2016 after the death of her late husband, former interior and local government chief Jesse Robredo. 

“Kaya’t sinasabi ko (That’s why I say): Make Davao the last priority. Totoo ‘yan (That’s true). Sorsogon is a little politics, but that’s the territory of our Vice President Leni Robredo. Are you here, Ma’am?” asked Duterte during his SONA.

As Duterte mentioned her name, Robredo’s video feed flashed onscreen and the Vice President acknowledged the President. 

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Only a select number of government officials, Cabinet members, lawmakers, and other guests were invited to watch Duterte’s SONA in person at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City to observe physical distancing rules during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Malacañang initially did not include Robredo in this list, inviting her to attend the SONA via teleconferencing app Zoom only. 

This would have been the second time that Robredo was not invited to physically attend the President’s SONA. She was not asked to go to the Batasan last year, the first time Duterte’s address to the nation had to take on a hybrid format due to the raging COVID-19 crisis.

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But after news reports were published about Robredo not being asked to go to Batasan for Duterte’s last address, the SONA organizers sent her another invitation this time, telling her she could now physically attend the ceremony. 

The Vice President, however, still could not attend since only fully vaccinated people could enter the Batasang Pambansa. Robredo is scheduled to receive her second dose of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine on August 11.

Robredo had been present in all of Duterte’s previous SONAs despite their rocky working relationship.

The Vice President has been staunchly critical of the President’s policies, such as the bloody drug war and his crackdown on dissent. In turn, Duterte has belittled Robredo’s capability to lead even if her office’s anti-poverty and pandemic response programs have drawn praise. 

Next year’s polls could see Robredo –  the most viable standard-bearer for the anti-Duterte forces, according to pre-election surveys – pitted against the President’s own daughter, poll frontrunner and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. 

But the Vice President has not decided on whether to run for president in 2022, given her low survey numbers so far, and the persistent attacks from the Duterte machinery these past five years. – Rappler.com