This is a rhetorical statement but a good soundbite nevertheless. She is the constitutional successor to the President not needing an appointment as the designated survivor, which by the way is still a pending legislative measure in Congress.
Not only is it a serious matter. The 1987 Constitution actually provides that Congress pass a law in this regard. And for good reason – the line of succession stops at the Speaker of the House of Representatives. God forbid, under an extremely exceptional event that a terrorist attack had wiped out all the 4 highest elected officials, we could have a leadership, hence a constitutional crisis.
In August 2019, I filed Senate Bill 982 to extend the line of succession beyond that of the Speaker. Unfortunately, the bill didn’t even reach the plenary debates in the Upper Chamber. Worse, its counterpart bill in the House (HB 4062) was withdrawn by its author.
Related: Lacson Files ‘Designated Survivor’ Bill to Ensure Gov’t Stability
QUOTES on the Designated Survivor issue from interviews on DWPM and NET25 on July 12, 2024:
“Hindi lang pala constitutional na magkaroon ng Designated Survivor kundi requirement pa ng Constitution … na ang Kongreso magpasa ng batas na parang enabling law kung saan i-define na natin sino maging acting president just in case na mawala ang 3 constitutional successors. E wala nga eh. So kailangang merong talagang batas.”
“Ang isip ko kasi, hindi elected official ang Cabinet member i-extend natin ang elected official. So ang aking panukalang batas, ang most senior in terms of years of service, at the time si Sen Drilon yan kasi yan ang may pinakamahabang naisilbi sa Senado. At halimbawa kung ubos lahat na senador, ang pinakamahaba naman na kongresistang nagserbisyo. Pag ubos pa rin kongresista doon magkakaroon ng designated survivor na Cabinet member. Pero hindi ito permanent siyang magiging presidente, acting president lang yan.”
On VP Sara Duterte’s pronouncement that she is the ‘Designated Survivor’:
“Nanunukso lang yan, rhetorical ang statement. After all hindi naman siya kailangan maski mag-appoint si Presidente, di siya kailangang i-appoint kasi nandiyan na siya No. 1 sa listahan ng succession. Siya talaga automatically maging presidente di lang acting president siya maging presidente kung may mangyari sa presidente. So nanunukso lang si VP Sara nang sinabi niyang in-appoint niya sarili as DS. And after all, wala pa naman talagang batas ng DS so alam natin na parang nanunukso lang siya. In jest lang sinabi niya lang yan.”
On Possibility of Including Chief Justice in the Line of Leadership Succession:
“Ang sinusundan natin numero ng plaka, No. 5 ang CJ. Akala ko rin yan ang line of succession. Hindi. Talagang napuputol siya hanggang Speaker of HOR. After Speaker, wala talaga.”
“Pagka may panukalang batas, dadaan naman ito sa mga public hearing, pagkatapos magkakaroon ng committee report, plenary debate, at amendment. Sa amendment pwedeng ipasok ang isama ang CJ sa linya ng constitutional successors. Wala namang problema doon.”
Senator Binay planning to re-file Ping’s DS Bill:
“Ngayon narinig ko ang Congress ngayon, mukhang naging interesado uli sila meron silang panukalang batas di ko alam ang version. Katunayan kahapon na-inform ako ng dati kong staff na na kay Sen. Nancy ngayon, nagpapaalam kung pwede i-refile ang aming bill sa DS. Of course ang sabi ko, sure, mas maganda nga dahil in the realm of possibilities, under extreme and exceptional circumstances pwede mangyari na ma-wipeout ang 4.”
Reply to Critics that the Designated Survivor Bill Stemmed from a Netflix Show:
“Mas concerned ko sa Saligang Batas natin kung saan mismong nire-require ng 1987 Constitution na magkaroon ng batas ang Kongreso para maiwasan ang posibilidad na mawala ang 4 na pinakamataas na opisyales at magkaroon tayo ng crisis. Doon ang pinaghuhugutan ko. Although ang nag-trigger sa akin naging curious ako, kung meron sa US, bakit di tayo kailangan gumawa rin ng ganoong batas? At natuklasan ko nga na may provision sa ating Constitution na di lang sinasabing pwede kundi inaatasan ang Kongreso na magpasa ng ganoong batas, parang enabling law. Para ring sa political dynasty nakalagay doon nasa Constitution, bawal ang political dynasty pero kailangan ng enabling law. Kung walang enabling law di ito magiging batas, di ito mapapatupad.
“May Section 8 yan, sinasabi paano kung mamatay naman ang acting president? Kailangan meron ding batas na ipasa ang Kongreso para magkaroon ng succession uli. Di natin masasabi, halimbawa ang pag-takeover ng acting president may nangyari rin naging incapacitated o namatay, crisis din yan kasi walang kasunod pa. Sec 8 ng Art 7 meron din dapat gawin ang Kongreso.”
“At least itong Designated Survivor bill, dapat umusad na ngayon ito kasi walang vested interest na papasok dito. Ang pinoprotektahan natin dito ang ating leadership na kailangan may continuity in case of a crisis, ang extreme circumstances na tinatawag.
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