EDITORIAL
‘Designated survivor’: Echoes from UniTeam’s graveyard
Why did Vice President Sara Duterte’s statement that she is appointing herself as
the designated survivor in the upcoming Statement of the Nation Address (SONA) on
July 22 elicit such a vehement reaction from the members of the House of
Representatives?
“No, I am attending the SONA. I am appointing myself as the designated
survivor.” These words did not sit well with some members of the House. Lawmakers at
the lower chamber called these words “both inappropriate and reckless” and “such
rhetoric hints at scenarios that are alarming and baseless, sowing unnecessary fear
among the public.”
Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. reminded
Duterte to be more “circumspect” with her remarks and to avoid “alarming statements”
as she is implying that something bad will happen when the President delivers the
SONA is a “very serious matter that warrants an investigation.”
While some House members overreacted to the statement, at least two senators
dismissed the remark as simply making light of her excuse not to attend the 2024 SONA
by referring to a Netflix series.
Although not specifically termed a “designated survivor”, the Vice President is the
next elected official in the line of presidential succession, designated under the 1987
Constitution to assume the President’s position in case of his death, permanent
disability, removal from office, or resignation.
The VP’s statement and the vehement reaction from the President’s allies in the
lower House are nothing but echoes from UniTeam’s graveyard. The political alliance
that promised to bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilo is now buried in the abyss
of political ambitions to cling to power or seek more.
Speculations have it that the spate of suspensions of local officials and the forced
transfers or reassignment of career officials who may have direct or indirect influence
on the electorates are part of the grand scheme to maneuver the upcoming midterm
elections and the 2028 national elections.
As the elections draw near, more of these political maneuvers will be exposed.
Sadly, in the Philippines, elections are won not on the basis of which political party
offers the best platform of government but on who can deliver multiple forms of
benefits that voters may expect from elected officials.