Several senators from the minority bloc announce they will not physically attend President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday afternoon. GMA News Online reports that many minority senators plan to skip the event, citing dissatisfaction linked to the detention of opposition lawmakers. Inquirer.net likewise says the decision is driven by different personal and political reasons expressed by individual senators, but centers on their displeasure with how opposition lawmakers are being treated. Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano says he may skip attending in person and would instead watch the SONA on television, describing this as a form of protest. Inquirer.net reports that Senator Imee Marcos also states she will not attend, pointing to her disappointment with the administration over legal cases involving some senators and their detention. Additional minority figures mentioned by Inquirer.net as skipping the event include Senators Pia Cayetano, Risa Hontiveros, and other listed minority bloc lawmakers, including Loren Legarda and Robin Padilla, though some reports focus on the announcements made by specific senators. The senators’ plans collectively indicate a coordinated protest through non-attendance.
Minority senators announce plans to skip Marcos’ fifth SONA in protest
Several senators from the minority bloc announce they will not physically attend President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday afternoon. GMA News Onli...
- Multiple minority bloc senators plan to skip President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth SONA on Monday afternoon.
- Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano says he will watch the address on TV instead of attending in person, describing it as protest.
- Imee Marcos says she will not attend, citing disappointment over legal cases and detention of some opposition lawmakers.
- Reports attribute the non-attendance to dissatisfaction with the administration’s handling of detained opposition lawmakers.
- Inquirer.net also lists other minority senators—such as Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, and Robin Padilla—as planning to skip the physical event.
MANILA, Philippines — Several minority bloc senators have announced they will skip the physical gathering for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s fifth fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday afternoon, July 27, 2026. Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano stated in an interview that he plans to skip the event, noting that his absence might make things easier for the administration. READ: LIVE: SONA 2026 of President Bongbong Marcos “I think I’d prefer to just watch it on TV. Maybe the administration is more comfortable that way and it’s my simple way of protesting,” Cayetano said partly in Filipino. […]...Keep on reading: Cayetanos, Imee Marcos, Legarda, Padilla to skip 2026 Sona
2 hours agoMANILA, Philippines – Some minority bloc senators said they will not be physically attending President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday afternoon. Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, in an interview, was the first to announce that he may not attend, saying it may be more comfortable for the administration. “I think I’d prefer to just watch it on TV. Maybe the administration is more comfortable that way and it’s my simple way of protesting,” Cayetano said partly in Filipino. Sen. Pia Cayetano’s office also confirmed through a text message that she will […]...Keep on reading: Cayetanos, Imee, Robin, Legarda to skip Sona
4 hours agoThis report is part of Inquirer’s Sona 2026 coverage. Follow our live page for real time updates. MANILA, Philippines – Some minority senators may not attend President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, citing various reasons, Inquirer.net reporter Keith Clores reports. Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said he would rather watch the President’s address on television, describing it as his own form of protest against the administration. Senator Imee Marcos also said she would not attend her brother’s Sona, citing her disappointment with the administration over the legal cases and detention of some senators […]...Keep on reading: WATCH: Minority senators may skip Marcos' fifth Sona
4 hours agoMost members of the Senate minority bloc will skip President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.'s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday afternoon, citing their dissatisfaction over the detention of several opposition lawmakers.
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