VP Duterte’s ‘designated survivor’ remark a bad joke, Pimentel says

July 14, 2024 , 03:46 PM

(July 14, 2024) — Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel has expressed strong disapproval of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s remarks about appointing herself as the “designated survivor.”

The concept of a “designated survivor” is more commonly associated with the United States’ State of the Union address, where a designated official is kept at a secure position in case of an unfortunate event.

Moreover, in the Philippines the Constitution appoints the vice president as the designated successor.

“Sana hindi niya ginawa iyon sa context ng SONA. Sana hindi niya ginamit yun na joke. Hindi magandang joke yun,” Senator Pimentel said in an interview with radio station DWIZ on July 13.

Senator Pimentel even deemed Vice President Duterte’s response as show business.

“They are mixing it with showbiz because there’s a famous TV series called ‘Designated Survivor’,” Senator Pimentel said. Wherein, the hit Netflix series follows a low-level US Cabinet official who becomes President after a bombing incident during the State of the Union address.

Despite understanding the context, Pimentel believes the joke is inappropriate, especially with the upcoming State of the Nation Address.

However, he expressed confidence that the joke won’t impact the attendees of the SONA.

Additionally, Senator Pimentel is the author of Senate Bill No. 921, which tackles the rule of succession in the event of a catastrophe that incapacitates the top elected leaders of the country. He emphasized the importance of his proposed legislation, which he believes is critical for ensuring a clear line of succession.

“If both the President and the Vice President are wiped out, it’s the Senate President. If all three are wiped out, it’s the Speaker of the House. But if all four are wiped out at the same time, and no one can act as President, there needs to be a law. That’s why I have a proposed law to address that scenario,” Pimentel said.

The Senator expressed hope that his bill would be approved before the 19th Congress ends next year.

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