MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday called on his colleagues to start discussions on a bill authorizing the President to name a “designated survivor,” as he called the recent withdrawal of the measure in the House of Representatives “unfortunate.”In a statement, Lacson said the process to pass Senate Bill No. Under the Constitution, the line of presidential succession includes the Vice President, Senate President and House Speaker. “If such a tragedy occurs, who will act as President until the next election of the President and Vice President, since the constitutional line of succession to the President stops at the House Speaker?” Lacson added. He then called on the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes and Laws to immediately conduct a hearing on the measure. Castelo explained that her withdrawal of the measure seeks to erase any impression that she is in support of ignoring or scrapping the constitutional line of succession to the presidency.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 31, 2020 01:29 UTC