Vice President Sara Duterte will skip the third State of the Nation Address of President Marcos on July 22, and “appointed” herself the “designated survivor.”
“No, I will not attend the Sona,” Duterte said in an interview Thursday in Davao City.
“I am appointing myself as the designated survivor,” she added.
Lawmakers from both administration and opposition parties criticized the Vice President’s reference to the “designated survivor” — a US government official chosen to stay at a secure location during events where top leaders are gathered as a continuity measure in case a catastrophic event kills or incapacitates the president.
Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel likened her comment to a “bomb joke,” while Manila Rep. Joel Chua warned the security of the President is never a laughing matter.
“Who appointed you? This is delulu behavior,” Manuel said.
“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,” he added.
Chua added: “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.”
For his part, Speaker Martin Romualdez said he respects the decision of Duterte, even as he lamented that Filipinos deserve to see their leaders united.
“Every public official has the prerogative to decide on their attendance at significant events. However, the State of the Nation Address is a crucial moment for unity and collaboration among our nation’s leaders,” Romualdez said.
“Our constituents deserve to see their leaders united and focused on the collective good. Despite the Vice President’s absence, the House of Representatives remains committed to working with all branches of government to ensure that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s SONA reflects our collective efforts to improve the lives of Filipinos. Unity and collaboration will continue to guide us forward,” he added.
This is the first time Duterte will not show up at the President’s SONA since their tandem won in the 2022 polls.
Last month, Duterte stepped down as Education Secretary and vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
House secretary-general Reginald Velasco said he has yet to receive a formal notification from Duterte about her attendance on July 22.
Velasco said given that there is no position of “designated survivor” yet in the Philippines, he said he believes the Vice President may just be joking.
“I think she is just joking. We do not have such thing as a designated survivor. In the US, there is. You have seen the series on US TV, they have a designated survivor — a cabinet official, a cabinet secretary will not be attending the SONA and the person is secluded,” Velasco said.
Under Article VII of the 1987 Constitution, the vice president will succeed in case a sitting president dies or becomes permanently disabled.
Second in the line of succession is the Senate President, followed by the House Speaker.
Duterte was also absent in the opening ceremony of the Palarong Pambansa 2024 on July 9, where Marcos delivered a speech. With Rolando Ng III
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Sara Duterte won’t attend SONA, assigns herself ‘designated survivor’”
