By Brian Jules Campued
Several members of the House of Representatives have criticized Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent remark about appointing herself as a “designated survivor” when asked if she would attend the third State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
In an ambush interview during the inauguration of the Child and Adolescent Neurodevelopment Center in Davao City on Thursday, Duterte said she would not attend the SONA on July 22.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez said that while it is every public official’s prerogative on whether to attend important government events, the President’s SONA calls for a moment of “unity and collaboration” among the country’s leaders as they outline their “vision for the future” of the Philippines.
“Our constituents deserve to see their leaders united and focused on the collective good,” Romualdez said in a statement.
“Despite the Vice President’s absence, the House of Representatives remains committed to working with all branches of government to ensure that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s SONA reflects our collective efforts to improve the lives of Filipinos,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. reminded the Vice President to avoid saying alarming statements as her “designated survivor” remark is a “very bad joke”.
“It leaves a bad taste in the mouth, especially coming from a very popular VP who garnered a resounding 32 million votes in the last presidential elections. It’s the highest vote for an elected official in our history books,” Gonzales said.
“This is unnecessary and uncalled for—to say the least. The VP is creating or wreaking havoc to the general public. She’s alarming the people. The SONA is a yearly official and formal event that needs respect, most especially from elected officials like her,” the solon added.
Members of the “Young Guns” in the lower chamber also “strongly disapproved” of Duterte’s comments as it can influence public perception and national stability.
“The Vice President’s remarks about being the ‘designated survivor’ are both inappropriate and reckless. Such rhetoric hints at scenarios that are alarming and baseless, sowing unnecessary fear among the public,” House Deputy Majority Leader Inno Dy said in the group’s joint statement.
Other members of the bloc, likewise, described Duterte’s statement as “quite inappropriate” and questioned the “message” the Vice President was trying to convey through her comments.
“When she makes such remarks, it prompts us to ask: What message is she trying to convey? Is she attempting to influence public opinion, divert attention from critical issues, or create controversy?” Rep. Cheeno Almario said.
House Secretary General Reginald Velasco clarified that there is “no such thing as designated survivor” in the Philippines—while in the United States, the said title is temporarily assigned to a member of the presidential line of succession should the chief executive and other immediate members of that line become unable, due to some event, to perform/assume the powers and duties of the presidential office, thus ensuring continuity of leadership in US government.
The “designated survivor” is usually kept away while the nation’s leaders are gathered.
“Ako personally, kasi alam mo yung pamilya ni VP mapagbiro eh so, ang tingin ko biro lang ‘yon eh. Because under our laws, wala, or our constitution, the succession is already provided for in the constitution. So, there’s no such thing as a designated survivor,” Velasco said.
The 1987 Constitution already states the line of succession in case a sitting president dies or becomes permanently disabled, with the Vice President set to assume the presidency, and followed by the Senate President and the House Speaker. – iro
