“Too much Netflix?”
This was the comment of some Filipinos who learned that Vice President Sara Duterte proclaimed herself as “the designated survivor” when asked about her attendance at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr‘s third State of the Nation Address.
The public official on Thursday said she will not attend the president’s SONA on July 22, the first time she has done so since serving their terms after running together in the 2022 national elections.
“No, I will not attend the SONA. I am appointing myself as the designated survivor,” Duterte said after being asked by reporters in an ambush interview at the sidelines of an event in Davao City on July 11.
RELATED: Sara to skip Marcos’ third SONA, assigns herself ‘designated survivor’
While she did not expound on her remark, it generated various reactions from Pinoys online, with some referencing the American political thriller of the same name on Netflix.
“It’s either we’ve been binge-watching too much Netflix or that sounded like a veiled threat,” history researcher Kristoffer Pasion said.
“We don’t have a presidential succession law in PH [Philippines], unlike in the US. Kaya walang konsepto ng designated survivor sa batas natin,” lawyer Barry Gutierrez, who served as former spokesperson of then-vice president Leni Robredo, said.
“Isa pang abogado na mukhang nasobrahan sa Netflix at kinulang sa Saligang Batas,” he added.
“Sara is [a] creepy cryptic. Is she up to no good? In the TV series ‘Designated Survivor,’ a terrorist attack kills the President and all members of the government, making Tom Kirkman, the designated survivor, the new President,” another online user said.
Sara is creepy cryptic. Is she up to no good? In the TV series “Designated Survivor,” a terrorist attack kills the President and all members of the government, making Tom Kirkman, the designated survivor, the new President. pic.twitter.com/NhCZJ7U8BE
— MichaelRey (@JustMichaelRey) July 11, 2024
Enter the show
“Designated Survivor” is a three-season series featuring a low-level official who becomes the president of the United States after a catastrophic attack during the State of the Union Address kills everyone above him in the line of succession.
It stars Kiefer Sutherland as Thomas Kirkman, secretary of the US Housing and Urban Development, named as the “designated survivor” for the event.
At that time, he was about to be let go from the Cabinet.
Kirkman is then thrust to the presidency after a terrorist bomb the US Congress during the speech, wiping out the leadership of the United States.
There is also a South Korean version of the drama with the same premise.
The reality
In real life, the US federal government also practices the concept during presidential State of the Union Addresses.
A cabinet member is chosen to continue leading the government in the event of a catastrophic incident at the Capitol. He or she is deliberately kept separated from others during the occasion to keep him or her safe from the attack.
Reports said some members of the Congress also hang back to keep the legislative branch functioning following such an event.
The practice is believed to have originated during the Cold War era amid fears of a nuclear attack from the Soviet Union.
The Philippines does not have a specific practice, but the 1987 Philippine Constitution outlines the line of succession to the presidency.
This can be seen under Article 7 Section 8, which states the following:
“In case of death, permanent disability, removal from office, or resignation of the President, the Vice-President shall become the President to serve the unexpired term. In case of death, permanent disability, removal from office, or resignation of both the President and Vice-President, the President of the Senate or, in case of his inability, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, shall then act as President until the President or Vice-President shall have been elected and qualified.”
“The Congress shall, by law, provide who shall serve as President in case of death, permanent disability, or resignation of the Acting President. He shall serve until the President or the Vice-President shall have been elected and qualified, and be subject to the same restrictions of powers and disqualifications as the Acting President.”
While the Philippines does not specifically have a law about it, a pending Senate bill seeks to extend the line of succession beyond the top four government officials — the president, vice president, Senate president, and House speaker.
Filed by former senator Ping Lacson, the bill proposes the following to be in line with the succession in case the four top officials are unable to serve:
- The most senior senator, based on the length of service in the Senate;
- The most senior representative based on the length of service in the House of Representatives;
- The member of the Cabinet designated by the president
Meanwhile, Rep. Joel Chua (Manila, Third District) cautioned Duterte against making such comments as “the security of the President of the Philippines is not a joking or laughing matter.”
“Great care is taken to ensure the security of the President, especially during the SONA,” he said in a statement.
“Strictly speaking, Vice President Sara Duterte does not have that appointing power for a designated survivor because it is the 1987 Constitution that designates the [Vice President] as the first next in line to succeed the President,” Chua added.
“To be specific, the two paragraphs of Section 8 of Article 7 of the Constitution provides for the succession to the President and to the Acting President. The second paragraph gives Congress the mandate to produce an enabling law for the Acting President situation,” he continued.
