(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte said he wanted to step down even before 2019 because he was already “very tired” and wanted a “transition President” to be elected as the country moves towards a federal government.
This was what the President said at the start of Monday night’s (July 9) cabinet meeting where he stressed the need for a “transition leader” that will guide the country during the transition period to a federal presidential form of government.
In a tweet, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque quoted President Duterte’s instruction to the Consultative Committee tasked to revise the 1987 Constitution.
“I instructed Consultative Committee to elect a transitional President. I am willing to cut my term to be co-terminus with the start of transition period. Committee agreed,” Roque said quoting Duterte.
Duterte, whose six-year term ends in June 2022, allegedly told his cabinet members, many of whom are his close friends, that he is ready to step down and give his power to “somebody else.”
“It’s to remove all suspicions and I am tired. Ready to give it to somebody else,” Roque quoted Duterte as saying to explain his decision.
Roque said the President wanted a younger leader to take charge of the country during the transition period.
“I do not want any transition position,” Duterte earlier said in a speech.
Duterte approved the draft federal Constitution as submitted by the Consultative Committee headed by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno, but wanted them to revise the “transition provision.”
He wanted the transitory provisions to state that a new transition president will be elected after the ratification of the new constitution.
In the original transition provision submitted by the Con-com, it stated that President Duterte will lead the Federal Transition Commission which would serve until June 30, 2022.
But President Duterte said he wanted to step down from his post and turn over the responsibility of leading the country to a younger elected “transition president.”
The Constitutional commission is eyeing the middle of 2019 as the start of the transition period for a federal government.
But everything is still dependent on the approval by Congress of the draft federal Constitution that will be transmitted by the President.
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said the Senate, for one, would scrutinize the draft federal Constitution and this could take time.
