Lacson says Designated Survivor Bill a constitutional mandate
FILE PHOTO: Former senator Panfilo Lacson. (Voltaire Domingo/ Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Former senator Panfilo Lacson said passage of the “Designated Survivor” bill is still necessary.
In an interview, Lacson cited a constitutional mandate to appoint a “designated survivor” since the line of succession ends with the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
According to him, there will be a leadership and constitutional crisis in times of national security attacks where the successors are involved.
“What if sa isang pagtitipon na nandoon ang matataas na opisyales na nasa line of succession ay biglang na-wipe out, huwag naman sana. May leadership crisis tayo, and at the same time, may constitutional crisis,” Lacson said in an interview with Radyo 630 on Friday.
(What if in an occasion where all of the highest officials in the line of succession are suddenly wiped out, I hope not. There will be a leadership, and at the same time, a constitutional crisis.)
READ: For Sona day, Sara Duterte appoints self ‘designated survivor’
“Binasa ko pa rin ‘yong nasa ating Saligang Batas, aba hindi lang pala constitutional ang pag-designate ng survivor, o pagkaroon ng designated survivor, kung hindi requirement pa ng Constitution… I think sa Article VII, sinasabi doon na ang Kongreso, magpasa ng batas na parang enabling law kung saan i-define kung sino ang magiging Acting President just in case mawala ‘yong tatlong successors.”
(I read the Constitution and a designated survivor is not just constitutional, but a requirement… I think in Article VII, it says there that the Congress shall pass a law where it defines who the Acting President will be, in case the line of three successors is gone.)
When he was still senator, Lacson filed Senate Bill No. 982 in August 2019 to “provide an exhaustive line/order of presidential succession in the event of death, permanent disability, removal from office or resignation of the Acting President to ensure that the office of the President is never vacated even in exceptional circumstances.”
Article VII, Section 7 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that “Congress shall, by law, provide for the manner in which one who is to act as President shall be selected until a President or a Vice-President shall have qualified, in case of death, permanent disability, or inability of the officials mentioned in the next preceding paragraph.”
READ: Lacson pushes for passage of bill naming President’s ‘designated survivor’
In the lower chamber, then Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo filed the counterpart measure, House Bill No. 4062, but she withdrew it.
On Wednesday, July 11, Vice President Sara Duterte said she will not attend this year’s State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and that she appointed herself as the designated survivor.
Her announcement was met with uproar as lawmakers reminded her there is no such designation in the Philippines as having a designated survivor is not authorized under the Constitution.
