(Eagle News)– There will no longer be an Office of the Vice President if the current proposal to amend the Constitution pushes through.
According to former Rep. Neri Colmenares, under the “Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan Constitution,” Vice President Leni Robredo “will be ousted from her office long before her term ends in 2022.”
“While PDP Laban may argue that they will not apply this to VP Robredo, this is not expressed in PDP Laban Constitution since they have refused to divulge their transitory provision,” he said.
He said that if Robredo is allowed to stay until 2022, “she will be a lame-duck Vice President who is not even listed in the line of succession to President Duterte.”
He said that under Section 7, Article VII of the “PDP-Laban Constitution,” it is the “Senate President and if incapacitated, the Speaker who shall succeed Pres. Duterte in case of death, or removal from office.”
“The Vice-President is not mentioned at all in the line of succession because, upon ratification of the new Constitution, her office no longer exists.On the other hand, the same PDP Laban Cha-cha contains no express provision disqualifying President Duterte from running for President in 2022. In fact, under Section 3, Article VII of the PDP Laban Constitution it allows the President to run for a second term,” he said.
He said the “PDP-Laban Constitution” is “about eliminating term limits, extending terms, ‘No-El’ and other self serving objectives.”
He said it should be “opposed” because of its “draconian measures” even if one supports federalism and the Constitutional Assembly.