Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Friday, July 9 said President Duterte’s plan to run for vice president in the upcoming May 2022 national elections will go against the spirit of the Constitution and will pose as a serious problem of succession to the presidency later on.
Drilon, a former justice secretary, warned that while the wording of the Constitution does not prohibit the President to run for any elected position, to run for vice president would contravene the spirit of the Constitution and could pose a serious problem of succession to the presidency later on.
“This is because a vice president can become President anytime in case of resignation, impeachment, death, and permanent incapacity of the President,” Drilon said in a statement on Friday.
“It will create a big question mark in an otherwise clear and established presidential line of succession later on...It will destroy the equilibrium,” he added.
Drilon pointed out that Article VII, Section 4 of the Constitution is clear that the President shall not be eligible for any re-election and that the spirit of the provision is to allow only one term for the president and to prohibit two terms.
“No person can occupy the highest position in the land for two terms,” Drilon emphasized.
“Article VII, Section 4 further states that ‘No person who has succeeded as President and has served as such for more than four years shall be qualified for election to the same office at any time’,” he noted.
Even the late President Corazon “Cory” Aquino, he said, was being prodded to run as president again on the theory that the Constitution was not applicable to her since she was elected under an interim “Freedom Constitution.”
But Cory Aquino refused because she believed it would contravene the spirit of the Constitution which only allows one term for the President, the Liberal Party stalwart noted.
“Hindi lumusot ang Cha-cha (Charter change) kaya susubukan nilang mag-tango (They failed to push the Chacha that’s why they are trying to dance the tango),” Drilon said.
“The Filipinos should not allow this clear circumvention of the spirit of the Constitution. We should oppose any attempt to circumvent our Constitution,” Drilon said.
The minority senator said Duterte’s possible vice-presidential win in the upcoming May 2022 national elections could also pose great concern in the future.
“In case of resignation, impeachment, death, and permanent incapacity of the President, the Vice President is first in the line of succession to presidency. Can Duterte assume the role of the president again?” the veteran lawmaker asked.