Palace: Duterte won't run with Bongbong for transition gov't leadership
MANILA, Philippines — Presidential spokesman Harry Roque denied on Thursday that President Rodrigo Duterte would run as transition president when the country shifts to a federal type of government with former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. as his running-mate for the vice presidency.
Roque belied the claim of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. that Duterte could easily choose the son of the late Philippine strongman as his running-mate and would easily win.
The proposed constitution of the president's consultative committee states that the president and the vice president should be elected in tandem, unlike under the 1987 Constitution which allows the two leaders to come from different parties.
A charter change is enough legacy for Duterte, who banked on the promise of a shift to federalism to decentralize the distribution of power and funds only from Metro Manila to the regions in the Visayas and in Mindanao, Roque said.
Roque said claims that the push for federalism was meant to shorten the term of Vice President Leni Robredo, who would have to step down along with Duterte in 2019 should there be an election for a transition government, were also not true.
"There is no truth to that because the Palace does not pay attention to the political career of the vice president. She is free to decide on what she will do in her career. What is clear is where the leadership of President Duterte is headed to," he added.
Davide, a member of the constitutional commission which drafted the current Constitution, told ANC on Wednesday he is certain that the president would win alongside Marcos as his running-mate should he decide to run for election as transition president.
He said that the election for transition leaders in 2019 could serve as a preparation for Marcos for the 2022 election.
Although the transitory provision bars the elected transition president and vice president from seeking re-election, Davide said he doubts the proposed version would come out as it is.
"The Lower House can easily amend that because the proposal now of the Concom would still be subject to probable modification if it (Congress) will become a [constitutional assembly]. — Philstar.com Christian de Lano Deiparine
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