Vice President and outgoing Education Secretary Sara Duterte clarified on Wednesday her ‘designated survivor’ remark that made headlines last week, saying it was neither a ‘joke’ nor a ‘threat.’
In an ambush interview in Cebu this morning, Duterte told reporters that some people may have misunderstood her statement, which was delivered in the context of her non-attendance to the third State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Marcos.
“It was not a joke; it was not a bomb threat (either). I think many missed the point. So, for those who did not understand the first time, I don’t think you deserve an explanation,” Duterte told reporters in a mix of Cebuano and English.
The Vice President also lamented the negative reactions toward her decision to skip the SONA on Monday, July 22. “It is only now that I have seen the vice president’s attendance being sought in all things,” she commented.
Duterte was present in President Marcos’ first two SONAs. This will be the first time she is skipping the event. Her ‘designated survivor’ remark has garnered criticisms and comments from various lawmakers and political commentators over what they perceived as an inappropriate ‘joke.’
A “designated survivor” is more commonly associated with the US’ State of the Union address, where a government official, who is part of the Cabinet, is kept at a secure location in case of a catastrophic event.
The term was popularized by the eponymous American political thriller created by David Guggenheim, which aired on ABC and Netflix between 2016 to 2019, to maintain a line of succession in government leadership.
Duterte was in Cebu City on Wednesday for a Brigada Eskwela activity, which was among the last engagements she was attending to in her capacity as DepEd Secretary. She is about to leave the post this July 19 after announcing her resignation from the Marcos Cabinet a month ago. –With Rolando Ng III
