EDITORIAL - Falling-out

Give them an A for effort: President Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo at least tried to work together for a few months, even if they came from rival political parties.

Five months is too early for a falling-out between the nation’s two highest officials. From the start, however, Robredo never seemed to fit well into the Duterte Cabinet. As a member of the President’s official family, she served as an alter ego of the Chief Executive. This implied full support for the President’s programs and policies, including his vicious war on the drug menace.

Such unconditional support was something Robredo could not give. She spoke out openly against the potentials for abuse in the drug war. She was vocal about her concerns regarding human rights and about the nation’s international alliances. She openly opposed the burial of dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, and joined critics in their lament when the burial pushed through in stealth. At one point, Robredo also protested Duterte’s jokes about her eligibility for romance, which she considered offensive and gender-insensitive.

Yesterday, as she formalized her break from the Cabinet, Robredo said she would still support the President’s policies and programs that she believed were good for the nation. Palace officials, citing irreconcilable differences between the two, said Duterte had directed aides to inform Robredo that she was no longer welcome at the regular Cabinet meetings. Robredo told a press conference that she thought she was getting along well with the President, but she also believed she should enjoy the freedom to speak her mind.

She can do this now that she is no longer part of the administration. Robredo can issue statements and provide constructive criticism that Duterte will never hear from sycophants. The Vice President can amplify the voices of those who have legitimate grievances against the government or who have sound proposals for making the nation a better place.

The President and his constitutional successor may never again see eye to eye, literally and figuratively, but both can still advance national interest in their own way. There should be room for fruitful cooperation even in an adversarial environment.