Vice President and concurrent Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Sunday, Sept. 4, officially took over as government caretaker upon President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his delegation’s departure for the chief executive’s first state visit to Indonesia and Singapore this week.
The Vice President joined other government officials in the send-off ceremony for Marcos, First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and other officials of the Philippine government.
“Layunin ng state visits na ito na mas palakasin pa ang relasyon at kooperasyon Pilipinas sa mga karatig-bansa upang makaraos ang ating ekonomiya mula sa epekto ng pandemya (The goal of the state visits is to strengthen the relationship and cooperation of the Philippines with the neighboring countries for economic recovery because of the effects of the pandemic),” Duterte said in a Facebook post.
READ: Marcos leaves for Indonesia, Singapore; expects ‘harvest of business deals’
Marcos signed Special Order No. 75 designating Duterte as officer-in-charge while he was away.
If necessary, the Vice President could also “act for an on behalf of the President, except on matters that the President, is required by the Constitution to act (on) in person, during the time that the President’s is outside the Republic of the Philippines from 04-07 September 2022,” the directive read.
The order also instructed “all departments, agencies, and government instrumentalities to assist Duterte in the discharge of her functions.”
“All acts of the Vice President for and on behalf of the President pursuant to this Order shall be deemed acts of the President, unless disapproved and reprobated by the President,” it added.
This is the first time in 12 years that the Vice President will be the government’s caretaker as the President goes on a foreign trip.
READ: VP Sara to act as OIC during Marcos state visits
During his administration, then president Rodrigo Duterte had appointed his executive secretary Salvador Medialdea to take his post while he was on foreign trips. During his term, then president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III appointed his vice president Jejomar Binay to represent him only in social functions while he was away.
Though Aquino was always in contact with his Cabinet officials, he had technically left the day-to-day operations of the government and the Office of the President (OP) to his executive secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr.
The last time a vice president took over the president’s duties was during the term of president and now Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who named her vice president Noli de Castro as the government caretaker when she visited other countries.