‘Designated survivor’? PNP says no threats monitored for Marcos' 2024 SONA

No threats have so far been monitored to the conduct of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday.

The PNP made the statement when asked for comment on a statement made by Vice President Sara Duterte that she will not attend the event and  appointing herself as “the designated survivor.”

“With respect po sa ating SONA, as we speak po, wala naman po tayong namo-monitor na anumang seryosong banta to disrupt po itong SONA,” PNP spokesperson P/Colonel Jean Fajardo told reporters in an interview.

(With respect to our SONA, as we speak, we are not monitoring any serious threat to disrupt this SONA.)

“With respect po doon sa statement ng ating Pangalawang Pangulo, we rather not comment sa kanyang statements at hayaan po natin siya mismo ang magpaliwanag siguro. Tanungin natin kung ano ang konteksto ng kanyang sinabi,” she added.

(With respect to the statement of our Vice President, we rather not comment on her statements and let her perhaps explain herself. Let's ask what is the context of what she said.)

According to Fajardo, government agencies are ready to secure Marcos’ SONA.

Asked if the security team really needed to have a “designated survivor” in such an event, Fajardo said the Constitution does not mention a designated survivor.

“However, very clear po sa Constitution po natin yung succession in terms of death, resignation, disability, and expressly provided sa ating Constitution. But sabi nga natin, ibigay po natin ang poder po na yan sa ating mga mambabatas,” she said.

(However, the succession in terms of death, resignation, and disability is clearly provided in our Constitution. But let's leave the matter to our legislators.)

Vice President Sara Duterte last week said she will not attend Marcos’ SONA.

“No, I will not attend the SONA. I am appointing myself as the designated survivor,” she said.

In the United States, a "designated survivor" is someone who is assigned to succeed the presidency and kept away while the nation's leaders are gathered.

Manila Representative Joel Chua said the Vice President should not joke about being a designated survivor.

"Given current political tensions, such a joke is not in good taste because 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," Chua said.

"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 as the first next in line to succeed the President," he added.

For the Kabataan party-list, the Vice President's "designated survivor" comment was a manifestation of ''delusional behavior.''

“Who appointed you? This is delulu (delusional) behavior. She is no alternative or back-up leader when the only legacy she has proven to Filipinos is her confidential funds racket and the thousands of victims of her family’s fake war on drugs," the group said in a statement. —RF, GMA Integrated News