Sick Joke or Veiled Threat?

By Artchil B. Fernandez

On Monday, July 22, Bongbong Marcos (BBM) will deliver his third State of the Nation Address (SONA). He will present this traditional address to the nation amid a changed political environment. The UniTeam has crumbled, and a new center of competition to BBM’s rule, led by his erstwhile allies—the Dutertes—has emerged.

To underscore that the breakup of UniTeam is final and has reached a point of no return, Vice President Sara Duterte decided to skip BBM’s third SONA. Last week, she announced that she will not attend the constitutionally mandated annual event. “No, I will not attend the SONA,” she snapped when asked by reporters. “I am appointing myself as the designated survivor,” Inday Sara quipped.

In the United States, the “designated survivor” refers to the official in line with presidential succession who is kept apart from the rest of the top officials (President, Vice President, House Speaker, Supreme Court justices) when they gather on important occasions such as the State of the Union Address. In case something happens to the top officials, there is no power vacuum as the “designated survivor” succeeds to the presidency. The US government will not collapse in a time of serious crisis.

“Designated Survivor” is also a 2016 hit series on Netflix. In the series, the top officials of the US government perish when a bomb wipes them out while the US president is delivering his State of the Union Address. The Housing Secretary, as the “designated survivor,” becomes the president as a consequence of the tragedy.

There is no “designated survivor” provision in the Philippine constitution.

Sara Duterte’s declaration is pregnant with provocative interpretations. Given the highly controversial implication of the jest, it did not sit well with the congressional allies of BBM. Did Inday Sara make a sick joke or issue a veiled threat?

Irked Manila Third District Representative Joel Chua blasted Sara Duterte for her black humor. “Given current political tensions, such a joke is not in good taste because the security of the President of the Philippines is not a joking or laughing matter. Great care is taken to ensure the security of the President, especially during the SONA.”

AnaKalusugan party-list Rep. Ray Reyes also slammed Inday Sara for the “designated survivor” remark, noting that it is “a dangerous and outdated approach to politics that we must leave behind.” He also considered her pun “poor in taste.”

“Her statement showed the lack of maturity that she is supposed to have as a high government official,” Quezon Second District Representative David Suarez said. “Her remark is a reminder of the importance of ensuring the security and safety of the President and other officials in the line of succession,” he added.

Even Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III did not find Inday Sara’s banter amusing, calling it a “bad and inappropriate joke. She (Duterte) should not have said it in the context of SONA. She should not have used it as a joke. It’s not a good joke.”

Meanwhile, Sara Duterte remained adamant and defiant. “It’s not a joke, and it’s not a bomb threat either. I think many missed the point. So for me, if you didn’t understand the first time, I don’t think [you] deserve an explanation.”

Whether a vile joke or a cloaked threat, the controversial statement is incendiary, pouring oil on the volatile political atmosphere. It is provocative and irritates.

The Dutertes have been taunting the Marcoses in the past months. They have not only personally attacked and insulted BBM but also poked and dared the present administration.

Failure of the police and security instrumentalities of the government to arrest fugitive doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy, a close ally of the Dutertes, has seriously embarrassed the present administration. Du30 recently said he knows the whereabouts of his friend. “Where is pastor? I know where, but it’s a secret.”

The Duterte patriarch is definitely daring the current administration. “We need to obtain the entire context of the conversation, because a person who knows the whereabouts of a wanted man (but keeps it secret) is liable for obstruction of justice,” PNP public information officer Col. Jean Fajardo responded to Du30. But will the administration charge the elder Duterte for obstruction of justice or even investigate him?

The demise of UniTeam has only intensified and accelerated the conflict between the Marcoses and the Dutertes. Sara Duterte’s refusal to perform her ministerial task of being present at BBM’s third SONA has upped the ante. Her grating justification rubs salt on the wound.

By appointing herself as the “designated survivor,” Sara Duterte struck raw nerves. If it was a dark prank, it was designed not to amuse but annoy and infuriate the Marcoses. If it was a disguised threat, it was intended to throw the Marcoses off balance and dare them. How will the Marcoses respond to her political stunt?

The latest Pulse Asia survey reveals vulnerabilities of BBM. His approval rating dropped from 55 percent in April 2024 to 53 percent in June. BBM’s trust rating dipped to 52 percent from 57 percent in the same period. Sara Duterte’s approval rating, on the other hand, slightly increased from 67 percent in March to 69 percent in June. Her trust rating is steady at 71 percent. The Dutertes will continue to explore weak points of the Marcoses to exploit and hurl test bombs.

The 2025 mid-term election is crucial to the Dutertes and the Marcoses. Sara Duterte’s latest trick is calculated to shake the Marcoses while setting up her family’s political pieces on the chessboard. Who will prevail in the mid-term election will have the upper hand in the 2028 election. More interesting ploys are coming.