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MANILA, Philippines – Senator Imee Marcos confirmed that she will not attend her brother President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) today, July 28. Her absence highlights a deepening rift between the siblings, stemming from their opposing views on the arrest and transfer of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Speaking to reporters, Senator Marcos revealed that she is not alone in boycotting the President’s annual address. She stated that Senators Bong Go, Ronald dela Rosa, and Robin Padilla will also skip the SONA. Furthermore, Vice President Sara Duterte and her brother, Representative Paolo Duterte, are also notably absent from Marcos’s SONA.

The strained relationship between Senator Imee Marcos and President Marcos Jr. became public in March, primarily due to their differing stances on the ICC’s jurisdiction and the handling of former President Duterte’s case. Former President Duterte is currently in ICC custody in The Hague, facing charges related to his administration’s war on drugs.