"Kung biro man yan ay napakasamang biro."

(If that was a joke, it was an absolutely bad one.)

This was Deputy Minority Leader Senator Risa Hontiveros' reaction to Vice President Sara Duterte's "designated survivor" remark after the latter confirmed that she won't attend President Marcos’ third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22.

"Kasi anong ibig sabihin niyan, banta ba yan kanino, banta ba yan saan (Because what does that mean? Is that a threat against someone or somewhere)?" Hontiveros said in a radio interview over DWIZ on Saturday, July 13.

"Napaka iresponsable, reckless statement ng isang pangalawang pinakamataas na opisyal ng ating bansa na dapat nagbibigay ng magandang halimbawa ng respeto sa kapwa na katrabaho niya sa gobyerno at respeto sa isa sa pinakamahalagang gawain ng kongreso taon-taon (It's a very irresponsible, reckless statement, coming from the second highest-ranked official in the country who's supposed to serve as good example for respecting colleagues in the government and respecting one of the most important activities in Congress every year)," she added.

"Kaya napakasamang halimbawa talaga niyan (That's a really bad example)," Hontiveros stated.

This will mark the first time Duterte will skip her 2022 running mate’s annual report to the people.

She revealed this during a media interview in her hometown of Davao City.

“No. I will not attend the SONA,” she said, as she marks the last week of being the Department of Education (DepEd) secretary, having tendered her one-month notice on June 19.

“I’m appointing myself as the designated survivor,” the Vice President added.

Unlike the United States (US), the Philippines does not have a law on designated survivor.
 
A designated survivor is someone—usually an appointed member of the President’s Cabinet or someone in the presidential line of succession—who is asked to sit out a large gathering of government leaders so he or she may take over the presidency in case of a catastrophic incident that leads to the incapacitation of everyone in the line of succession.