After announcing she’s skipping SONA, Sara Duterte appoints herself as “designated survivor”
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President announced she would skip President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (Sona), humorously declaring herself the “designated survivor.”
Speaking to reporters in Davao City, Duterte explained she would not attend the Sona on July 22, 2024. At one point, she appointed herself to this role typically seen in the United States. A designated survivor, in the U.S., is a government official in the presidential line of succession who remains isolated during significant events to ensure continuity of government in a catastrophe. This concept inspired the 2016 drama series “Designated Survivor,” where Kiefer Sutherland’s character becomes president after an explosion at the U.S. Capitol.
Duterte’s comment followed her resignation from her roles as education secretary and vice chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, effective July 19. As Vice President, she is the immediate successor to Marcos in the constitutional line of succession, followed by the Senate President and House Speaker.
Currently, there is no Philippine law regarding designated survivors, although in 2019, then-Senator Panfilo Lacson proposed a bill for such a role to ensure government stability in case of a disaster incapacitating the President and successors. Lacson’s bill suggested that the most senior senator, House representative, and a presidentially chosen Cabinet member would be successors in such an event.
Some lawmakers found Duterte’s joke inappropriate. Manila Rep. Joel Chua criticized it, given the current political tensions, emphasizing that the President’s security is a serious matter. ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro suggested the joke implied Duterte’s desire to eliminate President Marcos and national officials to become a dictator, reminiscent of her father’s controversial tenure.
Speaker Martin Romualdez did not comment on the joke but highlighted the importance of unity and collaboration among leaders during significant events like the Sona, emphasizing that public officials have the prerogative to decide on their attendance but should show solidarity and focus on the collective good.
Related Post: Sara Duterte on Marcos SONA 2024: “I will not attend”