Withdrawal of ‘designated survivor’ bill in House unfortunate, says Lacson

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday said it was "unfortunate" that the House version of his proposed "designated survivor" bill has been withdrawn.

Nevertheless, Lacson said the bill in the upper chamber, prescribing a designated successor in case the top four leaders of the Philippine government perish, must be discussed as soon as possible to avoid a constitutional crisis.

He underscored its urgency now that "exceptional circumstances" such as terror attacks have been observed in the country.

The senator reiterated that the existing constitutional provision is limited since the line of succession to the President stops at the House Speaker.

"I hope the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes and Laws will immediately conduct a hearing on Senate Bill No. 982, which I filed in August last year," he said in a statement.

He added that he is also willing and ready to be appointed as subcommittee chairman to ensure the timely passage of the measure.

Under Lacson's bill, the following shall assume the powers and duties of the Office of the President until the following election, in case all other successors indicated in the Constitution dies or become permanently disabled:

• the most senior Senator, based on the length of service in the Senate;
• the most senior Representative based on the length of service in the House of Representatives;
• the member of the Cabinet designated by the President

The President shall also designate a member of the Cabinet to be sequestered in a secret and secure location before any public or private activity, event, or function which will be attended by the President, Vice President and other ranking officials.

On Sunday, Quezon City Representative Precious Hipolito Castelo withdrew her similar bill in the House after screenshots of her proposed measure, also filed last year, went viral on social media.

She said the bill's withdrawal was meant to erase the impression that she was ignoring the line of succession to the presidency, which includes the Vice President, the Senate President, and the House Speaker. — RSJ, GMA News