‘Separate inaugurations for Rody, Leni have budget’

MANILA, Philippines - The inauguration committee has given assurance that it has the budget for the separate inaugurations of president-elect Rodrigo Duterte and vice president-elect Leni Robredo.

“The inauguration committee assured us (that) there is budget allocated for it,” Robredo’s chief of staff Philip Dy said in a text message to The STAR.

Dy also confirmed that the committee, headed by Marciano Paynor Jr., is the one handling the preparations for both the inaugurations of Duterte and Robredo.

The separate oath taking and inaugurations of Duterte and Robredo will be the first in recent Philippine history.

While there are no rules mandating that the oath taking be conducted at the same venue, all post-Martial Law presidents and vice presidents – except in special circumstances – took their oaths in the same venue.

Earlier, Duterte’s camp said it prefers to hold a separate inauguration from Robredo as the limited number of guests would be unfair to her supporters who might want to attend.

Bong Go, special assistant to Duterte, said the inauguration of the president-elect would be held in Malacañang and only around 500 guests will be invited.

“This imposition will not be fair to Leni as the limited slots would restrict her prerogative to invite more guests and supporters, as a good number of the slots are to be allotted for members of Congress, judiciary and the diplomatic corps. More so, the remaining limited number of slots are likewise given to family and friends,” he said in a statement.

“We believe that Leni Robredo’s family and supporters who worked hard for her deserve also to be present to celebrate her victory. And this can only be possible through a separate inauguration,” he added.

Instead of a huge venue, such as the traditional Quirino Grandstand, Duterte’s camp said they would hold the oath taking and inauguration at Rizal Hall in Malacañang.

Duterte will take his oath before Supreme Court Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes, a schoolmate from San Beda Law School and co-member of Lex Talionis fraternity.

Robredo, on the other hand, will take her oath before Ronaldo Coner, barangay captain of Punta Tarawal in Calabanga, Camarines Sur. It is the “smallest, poorest and farthest” village in the district that she represented in Congress.

Angara: Appoint Leni, Bongbong

Before talks about the separate inauguration, Duterte already said that he would not give Robredo a position in his Cabinet.

The possibility of appointing Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was raised after he recently met with Duterte in Davao City. The only son and namesake of the late dictator lost to Robredo by a slim margin of over 200,000 votes.

But for Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, Duterte should also consider giving Robredo a position to utilize both Robredo and Marcos’ abilities.

“If you ask me, if you appoint Bongbong, why not also Leni? Instead of an either or, why not both?” Angara said.

Angara suggested that Robredo is fit as the chairperson of the National Anti-Poverty Commission, while Marcos may serve as presidential adviser.

Angara said Marcos can come in after the lapse of the one-year ban on losing candidates. Under the law, a losing candidate cannot be appointed to a government post within a year after the elections.

Herbert: Leni welcome in QC

Meanwhile, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista yesterday denied a report that he is unhappy with the decision to lease the Quezon City Reception House to Robredo for her to use as her office.

“Of course not. Quezon City welcomes and is honored to host the vice president of the Philippines,” Bautista told The STAR when asked to confirm the report.

Robredo earlier declined to use the Coconut Palace in Pasay City as her ceremonial office as it costs the Office of the Vice President around P500,000 per month.

Citing an unnamed city official, a report yesterday said Bautista was unhappy with the decision of Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte to offer the property, formerly known as the controversial Boracay Mansion, to Robredo.

The same report quoted city administrator Aldrin Cuña, who said the property is not yet complete and that the lease cost has yet to be determined.

In a response posted on her Facebook page, Belmonte accused Cuña of misleading the public with his statements.

“It is he who is unhappy with the Mayor’s offer for the VP to use the Executive House as he has verbally manifested many times, because she was not his preferred VP. We all know who he publicly supported despite the Mayor’s being head of the Liberal Party in QC,” Belmonte wrote. – With Paolo Romero, Robertzon Ramirez, Manny Galvez