Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday voiced out his concern whenever the President, Vice President, senators, House representatives, and members of the Cabinet are together in one event.
“Example, there are extremists or a terrorist bomb at the Batasan and all died. We don’t have a successor,” he said.
That is why the senator believes that it is high time for the country to have a designated survivor, and filed his version of the Designated Survivor Bill.
A designated survivor is chosen and will be tasked to be the leader of the country when government officials included in the line of succession are incapacitated or have died at the same time.
An official who will be chosen to be the designated survivor will be brought to a safe house whenever the President holds a state of the nation address.
In the country’s existing law, included in the line of succession after the President is the Vice President, the Senate President, and the House Speaker.
“After the Speaker of the House, we will continue the line of succession by naming the most senior member of the senate in terms of number of years. At kung naubos pa rin lahat ng senador, yung most senior member of the House of Representatives. Kung maubos parin ang lahat ng member ng House of Representatives [And when no one is left in the Senate, it will be the most senior in the House of Representatives. And when one is left in the House of Representatives], the President will now designate a Designated Survivor from among the members of the cabinet,” Lacson explained.
Meanwhile, on her version of the said bill in the House, Quezon City Representative Precious Hipolito-Castelo proposed that the Designated Survivor must be from the President’s Cabinet.
“The absence of a leader can lead to lawlessness and disorder and, worst, anarchy,” the lady lawmaker said.
She stressed the need for a designated survivor, saying it will prevent the country from going into chaos in case the leaders perish.
Senator Lacson admitted that he was inspired to file the Designated Survivor Bill after watching the popular American TV series bearing the same title which revolves in the life and challenges of being the Designated Survivor.
U.S. law provides that a Designated Survivor is installed in office when the President, Vice President, and other officials come together in a gathering, such as the State of the Union Address, Presidential inauguration and during Congress Joint Session.
“Kapag naisabatas ito maraming hindi a-attend ng SONA [Once this is passed, many will not attend the SONA],” the senator quipped. (from the report of Grace Casin) /mbmf
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