Senators dismiss VP Sara's 'designated survivor' remarks; House leader wants probe

At least two senators dismissed Vice President Sara Duterte's remarks that she is appointing herself as the "designated survivor" when she announced her absence in the upcoming State of the Nation Address on July 22.

"I believe she does not want to attend SONA 2024. I guess she was simply making light of her excuse by quoting a Netflix series. Personally, I won't give any special or deeper meaning to it," Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero said in a Viber message.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Duterte's ally, also made a similar remark, saying he does not think that the Vice President was referring to what happened to the Designated Survivor series.

"I don't think naman na ganon ang kanyang ibig sabihn doon...I think ang nasa isip niya is siya ang next in line," Gatchalian said in a virtual interview.

"I think siya naman talaga ang designated survivor being the vice president. Hindi lang ganon ang terminology na ginagamit natin but the vice president is next in line to the president.  'Yun naman kumbaga 'yung nasa Constitution natin. 'Yun ang responsibilidad ng isang vice president sa Constitution natin," he added.

On the other hand, Duterte should be investigated over her remarks that she won’t be attending the President’s third SONA because she has appointed herself as the “designated survivor," House Senior Deputy Speaker Dong Gonzales said Friday.

“Implying that something bad will happen when President Marcos Jr. delivers his SONA is a very serious matter that warrants an investigation. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth, especially coming from a very popular Vice President who garnered a resounding 32 million votes in the last presidential elections,” he said.

The Vice President did not expound on her statement, but a hit television series titled Designated Survivor, which has a US and South Korean version, both take off from a scene of the respective country’s President delivering his state address with bombs suddenly going off and blasting the entire venue, resulting in massive deaths of attendees, including the President and all public officials in line of succession.

“There’s no such thing as Designated Survivor in the Philippines. Is she spending too much time watching Netflix? She better read our Constitution. It’s as clear as sunlight. She should be more circumspect and responsible in her utterances, owing to her title and the high office that she represents,” Gonzales said.

He added Duterte's statement was unnecessary and uncalled for, to say the least.

"The Vice President is creating or wreaking havoc to the general public. A career in government is not something anybody can play with. We’re dealing with people’s money and public resources,” he said.

Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel, on the other hand, said that the Vice President is apparently wishing ill of her fellow public officials for personal gain.

“Is she implying or looking forward to the possibility that something bad will happen to the sitting President and his Cabinet during the SONA para wala nang hadlang sa pangarap niya na maging presidente at makabalik ang mga Duterte sa Malacanang?” Manuel said.

Other House members including Isabela Rep. Inno Dy V, 1-Rider party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez, Davao Oriental Rep. Cheeno Miguel Almario, La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon, Zambales Rep. Jay Khonghun, and Camigun Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo likewise decried the Vice President’s “designated survivor” quip.

“The SONA is a serious event where we address the nation's most pressing issues, and such comments undermine its significance and fuel speculation," Gutierrez said.

“As the Vice President, it is assumed that every statement she makes carries significant weight and results from careful consideration. As a high-ranking official, her words should foster unity and provide clear, constructive direction for the nation,” Almario added.

Ortega, for his part, said the Vice President’s statements “can undermine public confidence and unity.”

"Does she have a premonition of the things to come? In the decades worth of SONAs that we've had, nobody has ever flaunted being the 'designated survivor' and used it as the excuse to skip the important event. Proper decorum and tradition say that the Vice President should be there in plenary at Batasan to hear the good President's report to the nation," Romualdo said.

"Vice President Duterte's predecessors did this with no issue while in office. One would think that she would also strive to achieve that standard," Romualdo added.—AOL, GMA Integrated News