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'Designated survivor' a real need, not just for Netflix — Lacson

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172097865626920230724-hor-19th-congress-JC4.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Members of the House of Representatives open the 2nd regular session of the 19th Congress on July 24, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Members of the House of Representatives open the 2nd regular session of the 19th Congress on July 24, 2023. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte&#x27;s quip about skipping the State of the Nation Address to be the &#x27;designated survivor&#x27; may have raised eyebrows and prompted criticism, but it shows a need for a law to avoid political vacuums in case of attacks on government, former Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Sunday.</p><p>Lacson filed a bill for a succession system and a &#x27;designated survivor&#x27; in the previous Congress.</p><p>The joint session of Congress for the President&#x27;s State of the Nation Address will be attended by the Senate president and House speaker, who are second and third in the line of government succession.</p><p>“Including the Vice President, the line of succession stops at the House Speaker,&quot; Lacson pointed out.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/12/lawmakers-slam-vp-duterte-s-designated-survivor-quip-1616">READ: Lawmakers slam VP Duterte&#x27;s &#x27;designated survivor&#x27; quip</a></div><p>Under the 1987 Constitution, &quot;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&quot; of the Senate president and House speaker to take over.</p><p>Lacson said that without an enabling law, an attack that would leave the heads of the executive and legislative branches unable to step in as acting president would lead to &quot;a leadership vacuum and a constitutional crisis.&quot; </p><p>Lacson&#x27;s 2019 proposal was to extend the order of succession to include the most senior senator based on length of service in the Senate, the most senior representative based on the length of service in the House of Representatives, and a member of the Cabinet designated by the President.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/12/-not-that-deep-senator-ex-solon-defend-vp-sara-s-designated-survivor-remark-1403">READ: Senator, ex-solon defend VP Sara&#x27;s &#x27;designated survivor&#x27; remark</a></div><p>He also proposed sequestering a Cabinet official in a secret and secure location when high-ranking officials like the President and Vice President are attending events.</p><p>He said he hopes the bill would be refiled and approved by the 19th Congress.</p><p>Vice President Duterte, like her father former President Rodrigo Duterte, has been known to make statements that are sometimes cryptic, sarcastic, or exaggerated.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/1/-wag-kayong-kumagat-duterte-denies-plans-for-senate-run-alongside-2-sons-1155">READ: Duterte denies plans for Senate run alongside 2 sons</a></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N5GacFyNHNs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Lacson said that without an enabling law, an attack that would leave the heads of the executive and legislative branches unable to step in as acting president would lead to "a leadership vacuum and a constitutional crisis.” </p>

Lacson said that without an enabling law, an attack that would leave the heads of the executive and legislative branches unable to step in as acting president would lead to "a leadership vacuum and a constitutional crisis.”