Duterte on her ‘designated survivor’ remark: ‘Not a joke, bomb threat’

Vice President Sara Duterte | PHOTO: Official facebook page of Inday Sara Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday said her self-appointment as “designated survivor” during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation address was “neither a joke nor a bomb threat.”

She, however, refused to clarify what she meant.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a Vice President’s attendance being monitored,” Duterte told reporters in a chance interview in her native tongue.

“It’s not a joke, and it’s not a bomb threat either. I think many missed the point. So for me, if you didn’t understand the first time, I don’t think [you] deserve an explanation,” she added.

READ: A first: Sara to skip Marcos’ Sona, names self ‘designated survivor’

Duterte named herself as the designated survivor when she confirmed that she would not be attending Marcos’ Sona on July 22.

In the United States, a designated survivor is an official in the presidential line of succession intentionally kept away from gatherings to ensure that someone can assume the presidency in the event of a mass casualty incident.

It is also the title and the setting of a fictional thriller TV Show, which tells the story of Tom Kirkman, a lower-level cabinet member catapulted to the Oval Office when a violent attack claimed the lives of the US president and most of his cabinet.

Duterte’s comment drew the ire of some lawmakers and the public alike, with some pointing out that the comment was made “in poor taste.”

READ: VP Duterte’s ‘designated survivor’ joke ‘poor in taste’ – lawmaker