Vice President Sara Duterte (left), Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon (PPAB)

Nobody from the House of Representatives--or at least those who supported Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment--is raring to replace the lady official if and when she gets removed from office.

This was bared in a virtual press conference Thursday, Feb. 27 by Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon, one of the 11 House prosecutors tasked to get a conviction of Duterte in her upcoming Senate impeachment trial.

“I guess for me that is a premature issue that has to be tackled," Bongalon, a lawyer, said regarding Duterte’s potential replacement as second highest-ranked official of the land.

“Never in our conversations nai-tackle (have we tackled) about who is going to succeed in the event that the Vice President is convicted in this impeachment case," he said.

"And then sa pag-iikot din namin sa pakikipagkwentuhan sa mga kasamahan, wala nag-signify (And then in our trips and interaction with colleagues, nobody has signified). No one is volunteering himself or herself to be the successor or to become the Vice President,” he noted.

Bongalon made the remark after Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said he would decline the vice presidency if offered the position in case Duterte is ousted. 

Escudero also challenged members of the House of Representatives who support impeachment to make the same commitment.

The party-list solon pointed out that under the 1987 Constitution, the President has the prerogative to nominate a new Vice President, subject to the approval of both houses of Congress voting separately.

“Well, probably that can be considered the statement made by the Senate President of the Philippines. But then again, kasi under the Constitution it’s the President who’s going to choose who will be the Vice President,” Bongalon explained.

He noted that the primary consideration in selecting a replacement should be the President’s trust in the nominee’s capability to fulfill the duties of the Vice President.

“Kung sa tingin niya (If he thinks), this particular lawmaker either from the Senate or from the House of Representatives is fit to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the Vice President, and therefore, I guess that is the paramount consideration in accepting the vice presidency,” he said.

A total of 215 out the 306 House members signed the impeachment complaint against Duterte, with another 25 expressing their intent afterward to also become signatories.