Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel voiced his disapproval of Vice President Sara Duterte’s self-appointment as the “designated survivor” during the annual presidential speech on July 22.
“Sana hindi niya ginawa iyon sa context ng SONA. Sana hindi niya ginamit yun na joke. Hindi magandang joke yun,” Pimentel said in a recent radio interview.
Pimentel said the concept of a “designated survivor” is more commonly associated with the United States’ State of the Union address, in which a designated official is kept in a secure location in the event of a catastrophe.
He explained that in the Philippines, the Vice President is designated as the successor by the Constitution.
“They are mixing it with showbiz because there’s a famous TV series called Designated Survivor,” the senator from Cagayan de Oro said.
The popular Netflix series “Designated Survivor” tells the story of a low-level US Cabinet official who becomes President of the United States after a catastrophic bombing during the State of the Union address kills everyone in his line of succession.
Still, Pimentel believes the “joke” is inappropriate, especially given the upcoming State of the Nation Address, and hopes it won’t impact its attendees.IMT
