Leni, kids leave for Taiwan vacation

MANILA, Philippines - Vice president-elect Leni Robredo left yesterday morning for Taiwan with her three daughters to take a break.

She and daughters Aika, Trisha and Jillian arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 around 9 a.m. for their 10:35 a.m. flight to Taipei and went through normal procedures by lining up at the airline counter and immigration.

Manila International Airport Authority senior assistant general manager Salvador Guerzon said he saw the family take some snacks at Starbucks while waiting for their flight.

Guerzon told the incoming vice president to use the VIP room while waiting for their flight but she replied, “It’s okay and thanks a lot.”

The four were booked on China Airlines’ economy class.

Airport men took the opportunity to have some pictures taken with Robredo before her departure for Taipei.

Renan Valdez, personal staff of Robredo, saw the family off at the airport.

Earlier this week, Robredo and her daughters toured Cebu and

Bohol.

Meanwhile, Camarines Sur Rep. Salvio Fortuno said Robredo would be making history as the highest official so far to take her oath before the lowest elected chief executive, the barangay chairman.

Fortuno is principal author of Republic Act 10755 signed by President Aquino last March, which amended Executive Order No. 292 or the Administrative Code of 1987 to include the barangay chairman among the authorities who could swear in public officials, including the president and vice president of the Philippines.

“By choosing the punong barangay to administer oath of office to her,

VP Robredo recognizes their importance in the delivery of frontline government services to our people even as she avoids the pomp and pageantry of the ceremony. Her simplicity and humility really precede her persona,” Fortuno said.

Robredo’s transition team reported her desire to take her oath before Ronaldo Coner, punong barangay of Punta Tarawal, Calabanga, Camarines Sur where she garnered 100 percent of the votes.

The venue of Robredo’s oath taking has not yet been finalized.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Rolando Tria Tirona of Caceres, Camarines Sur yesterday said Robredo should be given a chance to prove herself.

“I am from Camarines Sur and Leni is from our province. What I can say is that she was elected by the people so the people expect something from her. Give her a chance to prove herself and I think she would do wonders,” said Tirona, the chairman of the National Secretariat for Social Action-Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (NASSA-CBCP).

Tirona clarified that he is not asking Duterte to give Robredo a Cabinet position but he should take time out to know her better and see what she can do to help improve the government and be able to work for the people.

“It is up to the person (Duterte) if she would be given a Cabinet position. Just know her better. She is important to the country and therefore, there should be an opportunity to transcend party or political lines and to give that person the capacity to work for the good of the people,” Tirona said.

NASSA-CBCP executive secretary Fr. Edu Gariguez also believed that Duterte should listen to what possible changes Robredo could contribute to his administration.  – Rudy Santos, Evelyn Macairan, Paolo Romero