Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17774461256252026042904044_85a6ee01eae486bb7c15130366ffa331a5036ec205fe5c6c0ba479ad1d493211 (12).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte answer questions as they hold a press briefing as they lead the Brigada Eskwela launch at the V. Mapa Highschool in Manila on August 14, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Lawmakers on Wednesday tackled Vice President Sara Duterte’s “designated survivor” remark, as the House Committee on Justice’s final impeachment hearing centered its discussion on the alleged grave threats she made against President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., the First Lady, and then House Speaker Martin Romualdez.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/29/congressmen-told-to-avoid-pop-culture-references-in-vp-impeachment-hearing-1336">&#x27;This is serious&#x27;: Congressmen told to avoid pop culture references in VP impeachment hearing</a></div><p>During the hearing, Surigao Del Norte 2nd District Rep. Bernadette Barbers asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) if it considered Duterte’s reference during their probe into the threats.</p><p>NBI answered in the affirmative, with the House panel eventually playing the video when she made the remark<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/11/sara-duterte-to-skip-marcos-sona-1305"> in July 2024</a>.</p><p>“I will not attend the SONA. I am appointing myself as the designated survivor,” Duterte had said.</p><p>After the video was played, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said that this video is part of their probe into the alleged threats against the President.</p><p>Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua said Duterte’s statement shouldn’t just be ignored given the context behind the reference.</p><p>Under a US tradition dating back to the Cold War, one member of the cabinet stays away from the Capitol during the president&#x27;s annual speech to a joint session of Congress and the nation.</p><p>“Ang tanong ko: bakit ito binabanggit ng ating bise presidente? Mayroon po ba siyang alam na masamang mangyayari noong panahon na yun o may alam ang Bise Presidente na mangyayari kaya ayaw niyang dumalo ng SONA?” Chua said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>METAPHOR ONLY</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Butuan City’s Lone District Rep. Joboy Aquino, for his part, said it was “unfair” that the suspicions against the Vice President were based on a pop reference.</p><p>“Marami namang gumagamit ng references from films and series as metaphor. Metaphor lang. Ang punto ko lang, ang series na Designated Survivor ay widely known na fiction,” Aquino said.</p><p>“Kung ginamit man ito ng Bise Presidente, it could simply be a figure of speech. We should be careful not to overinterpret statements or put meaning beyond its plain language,” he added.</p><p>Galing sa Puso party-list Rep. JP Padiernos echoed Aquino, but said lawmakers should also consider “the other side of the coin.”</p><p>“There is a need to examine the statements of the impeachable officer on the entirety and not in isolation in order to determine the context, intent, and possible implication,” said Padiernos.</p><p>“The reference to the show Designated Survivor cannot be viewed on its own, divorced from the other statements made before, during or after. Nevertheless, it must be emphasized that at this stage of the impeachment proceedings, the issue is not yet final guilt or innocence,” he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘NOT A JOKE’ </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Deputy Speaker David &quot;Jay-jay&quot; Suarez meanwhile said while the series is fiction, Duterte’s statements couldn’t be considered a “joke.”</p><p>“Ang nagbigkas ng mga salitang yan ay mismong makikinabang kung may mangyari sa ating Presidente. Designating herself as a survivor means that she may be entertaining some thoughts or there are something that may happen in the present,” Suarez said.</p><p>“We should not take this lightly. Yes this might be the basis of some series... There is so much significance in that statement that was uttered. I would like to put that on record,” he added. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ROMANOVS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Lawmakers also discussed the remark of Duterte’s brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, who warned in January 2024 that Marcos Jr’s fate could be the same that of the Romanovs and his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.  </p><p>“From now on, before you go to bed, think of the Romanovs. Think of Benito Mussolini and his wife, and think of what happened to you in 1986 and may be you’ll reconsider the direction that you are taking,” said Baste during a prayer rally.</p><p>San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora described the Romanovs as a former ruling imperial dynasty in Russia who were executed in 1917 during the Russian Revolution.</p><p>“Nakababahala ang reference nila sa Romanovs. Bakit din nila babanggitin si Benito Mussolini? Ang fascist dictator… He allied himself with Hitler and the Axis powers until he was removed … and executed in 1945,” said Zamora.</p><p>“Their propensity to refer to executions or to idolize dictators is appalling and should not be counted as,” she added.</p><p>Matibag said all of these videos are part of their submissions to the committee, have been authenticated, and part of their ongoing investigation into the matter.</p><p>“It is part of the submission but it is being considered in an ongoing investigation,” Matibag added.</p><p>&quot;We have noticed a pattern na lagi sinasabi na &#x27;kuhain ang ulo,&#x27; I think there was also a video submitted by NBI, which was also being considered in the ongoing investigation na VP Sara Duterte is also referring to remove the head,&quot; he said.</p><p>The NBI chief said all these videos were recorded and made in public. He, however, said the &quot;continuing threat&quot; against the President has been alarming.</p><p>A task force has been created, in fact, to investigate these threats.</p><p>&quot;Kami naman sa law enforcement, any threat to the President or high official in government, we consider it as a threat to national security. It is good that these things are being raised here,&quot; he added. </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><strong><br/><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/aty-n_6Djx0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></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/ASmF6-eELKU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><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/QJsj9clSubQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Lawmakers on Wednesday tackled Vice President Sara Duterte’s “designated survivor” remark, as the House Committee on Justice’s final impeachment hearing centered its discussion on the alleged grave threats she made against President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.</p>

Lawmakers on Wednesday tackled Vice President Sara Duterte’s “designated survivor” remark, as the House Committee on Justice’s final impeachment hearing centered its discussion on the alleged grave threats she made against President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

Another threat? VP Duterte’s ‘designated survivor’ remark raised in House hearing

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Another threat? VP Duterte’s ‘designated survivor’ remark raised in House hearing

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 29, 2026 03:10 PM PHT

Read More:

Vice President Sara Duterte

impeachment

House Committee on Justice

designated survivor

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