Former senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Sunday, July 14 said he sees the necessity for Congress to refile and expedite the passage of the “Designated Survivor” bill to prevent a possible leadership vacuum and a constitutional crisis once something happens to the head of state.

Lacson made the call as the public anticipates President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22.

The former lawmaker noted that during the event, the Senate President will be there, and so is the Speaker of the House. Including the Vice President, the line of succession stops at the House Speaker.

“Without passing judgment on the ability of our country’s security forces to do their job well - God forbid - if the 2007 bombing of Batasang Pambansa that killed Basilan Congressman Wahab Akbar and a staffer of Gabriela party-list Rep Luzviminda Ilagan would happen again with the direst of consequences, without an enabling law to comply with Sections 7 and 8, Art VII of the 1987 Constitution, we will have a leadership vacuum and a constitutional crisis,” Lacson said in a statement.

“This is exactly the reason why I filed Senate Bill No. 982 in August 2019. I hope it can be refiled and passed by the present Congress,” he further stressed.

In the House of Representatives, Quezon City 2^nd District Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo filed a counterpart measure House Bill No. 4062, but she withdrew the measure.

Last Wednesday, July 11, Vice President Sara Duterte, who had a falling out with the Marcos administration, said she will not attend this year’s SONA and appointed herself as the designated survivor.

Some lawmakers rejected her announcement, pointing out that there is no such description in the Philippines as having a designated survivor is not allowed under the present Constitution.