(Eagle News) — A Liberal Party lawmaker on Thursday, Oct. 11, denied there was an attempted power grab with the removal of the vice president in the line of succession to the President in the lower chamber’s draft federal Charter.
According to Cebu City 1st District Rep. Raul del Mar, Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself shared his sentiment Article 17 Section 4 of Resolution of Both Houses of Congress No. 15 should be “corrected.”
The provision cites the Senate President, and not the Vice President, as the immediate successor to the President.
Critics said this was a deliberate attempt to bypass Vice President Leni Robredo, whom President Duterte has called “weak” and incapable of governing the country in previous public speeches.
Del Mar said he would introduce the amendment, to which Arroyo “not only readily agreed.”
“She said, ‘We can’t wait! That has to be done immediately’,” Del Mar said, quoting Arroyo.
