By Raymund Antonio
Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday decried concerted efforts to mislead the public about her supposed “eagerness” to assume the presidency in case President Rodrigo Duterte declares a revolutionary government.
Vice President Leni Robredo (VP LENI ROBREDO / FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN)
Robredo, a lawyer, said she was only responding to questions about her “readiness” to succeed Duterte after his threat to suspend the writ of habeas corpus, arrest critics, and declare a revolutionary war.
The President’s remarks had sparked discussions of revolutionary government among legal experts, who said Robredo would be his rightful successor.
The Vice President was asked if she was ready should Duterte make good on this threat. She replied in the affirmative, but her detractors readily accused her of being too eager to replace Duterte.
“Hindi naman tayo iyong nagsimula ng usapin. Actually, si Pangulo ang nagawa ng isang deklarasyon at tayo ay pinapa-komento lang doon,” she said during her radio show on RMN-DZXL 558.
(I didn’t start the issue. Actually, it was the President who made the declaration and I was asked to comment about it.)
Robredo also responded to comments comparing Duterte’s remarks with the late former President Corazon Aquino’s declaration of a revolutionary government.
The highest-ranking woman in government noted the situation during the time of Aquino was different because of the “confusion” that arose from 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.
“Iyong nakaupo na pangulo, umalis sa Pilipinas, inabandona iyong kaniyang propesyon. Mayroong kalituhan dahil dalawang pangulo iyong nanumpa—nanumpa si Presidente Cory dahil siya naman talaga iyong nanalo sa eleksyon, nanumpa din si dating Pangulong Marcos. So iba iyong sitwasyon noon,” she said.
(The sitting president, he left the Philippines and abandoned his profession. There was confusion because two presidents took oath—President Cory took her oath because she really won the election, then President Marcos did the same. So the situation was different before.)
“Noon, maraming kalituhan, kaya iyong kung naaalala natin, iyong pagdeklara ng revolutionary government, very limited time lang, ‘di ba? Talagang inayos lang iyong mga gusot, ipinasa na iyong 1987 Constitution,” she added.
(Before, there was a lot of confusion, that’s why if we remember, the declaration of a revolutionary government was done on a very limited time, right? The problem was just fixed, the 1987 Constitution was passed.)