While she is still in the decision-making process for her possible presidential bid, Vice President Leni Robredo assured President Duterte will not endure the same experience she had in the event both of them run and win in the 2022 polls.
“Para sa akin (For me), very, very seriously, I will not treat him the way he treated me. Kasi (Because) I don’t think it is to the best interest of the people na iyong presidente saka vice president nag-aaway (that the president and vice president are fighting each other),” she said in an interview on ANC’s After the Fact on Tuesday night.
“Having said that, tatanungin ko siya, kasi narinig ko din sa speech nya na kung manalo sya, matutulog na lang siya at maghihintay sya mamatay (I will have to ask him, because I heard him in a speech that if he wins, he will just sleep and wait to die),” Robredo added.
The vice president made the response to a hypothetical question raised by a Twitter user during the program about the possibility she and Duterte will swap positions next year.
Duterte floated the possibility of running as vice president as he claimed it will give him immunity from lawsuits when he steps down from the presidency.
READ: Duterte floats running for VP to get immunity from lawsuits
On the other hand, Robredo continues to assess if she would seek the country’s highest post taking into consideration her “viability” in light of her low survey numbers and lack of resources to launch a presidential campaign.
The lady official called it “poetic justice” in case that she and Duterte win the presidency and vice presidency, respectively, in the upcoming elections.
But Robredo said if Duterte decides to push through with his plan and wins, she hopes he won’t go through the same experience she had as vice president.
“Ang daming missed opportunities na kung binigyan lang ng pagkakataon makatrabaho kami na bwelo, mas marami pa sana kaming nagawa (The were so many missed opportunities that if we were only given the chance to work together, we could have had accomplished a lot),” she said.
The country’s top two leaders have been at loggerheads over their opposing views on crucial issues such as the government’s bloody war on drugs and the West Philippine Sea.
READ: VP Leni on spat with Duterte: ‘I try to choose my battles’
The working relationship between Duterte and Robredo has been shaky from the start since they assumed office in 2016.
Robredo was Duterte administration’s housing czar until early December 2016 when she resigned from her post after being told “to desist from attending all Cabinet meetings.”
In November 2019, she was appointed to lead the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) but she was fired by Duterte after 18 days due to mistrust and alleged incompetence to handle the job.