VICE President Sara Duterte announced that she will not attend President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.'s State of the Nation Address (SONA) this year.
The vice president, who was present at Brokenshire Medical Center’s launching of its Child and Adolescent Neurodevelopmental Center (Candev) on Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Madapo Hills, Davao City, also added: “I am appointing myself as the designated survivor.”.
Meanwhile, netizens have mixed reactions to her statement about being the “designated survivor.”
One commenter said that having watched the Netflix series, Duterte made a good move.
“I have watched this series on netflix... The designated survivor! Hehe nice move, VP (sic)!” he said.
The Netflix series "Designated Survivor," released in 2016, centers around a low-level official who suddenly becomes president after an attack on Washington.
Time Magazine described a “designated survivor” as the person chosen to lead the government in the event of a catastrophic event at the Capitol.
To recall, Senator Panfillo Lacson filed a bill in 2019 authorizing the president to name a designated survivor. Under the bill, in any private or public activity involving the president, vice president, and other ranking officials, the president must designate a cabinet member to be sequestered in a secret and secure location.
Duterte, however, did not provide her own description of a “designated survivor” as well as the reason for her decision not to attend this year's Sona.
During the opening of the 2024 Palarong Pambansa, Duterte was also absent despite confirming her attendance a week earlier.
Duterte resigned as Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) and Vice Chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict on June 19, 2024. She will be succeeded as Education Secretary by Senator Sonny Angara. RGP