Duterte told: 'Take a break, let Leni take over'

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte wants to resign?

The lawyer of Vice President Leni Robredo yesterday urged Duterte to “take a break” instead and allow her to prove her qualifications and abilities to be the chief executive.

“VP Leni is qualified to be president because her qualifications are just the same qualifications you possess as required of a president under the Constitution,” Romulo Macalintal said in a statement, addressing Duterte.

Last Tuesday, the President said Robredo “cannot improve on anything here” should she become president. 

“The problem is, I cannot suggest to them that you follow the succession which is really (in) the Constitution... I am hesitant to suggest a constitutional succession,” Duterte said.

He said he would rather have a military junta or the likes of Sen. Francis Escudero and former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. lead the country. 

Malacañang on Thursday said Duterte might resign if Marcos wins in his electoral protest against Robredo. 

Duterte also called Robredo’s bailiwick, Naga City, as a hotbed of illegal drugs. 

“The alleged presence of illegal drugs in a city does not disqualify her nor could be a basis to say she is not qualified to be President in the same way that the presence of illegal drugs all over the country which you failed to eradicate in six months as you promised during the campaign does not disqualify you as President,” Macalintal said.

“As a lawyer, you know she is entitled to due process or right to be heard before she could be accused of not being qualified to perform the functions of the presidency which under the Constitution, she is the rightful successor,” he said.

Macalintal said Duterte should take his “much-needed” rest and let “constitutionally mandated” Robredo take the reins of the presidency in her own style and approach.

“You really need a good break Mr. Idol President and when you come back you can rest assure that the country has been that good, if not better, in the hands of the qualified VP Robredo,” he said.

Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio said if the President resigns, the Vice President automatically takes over.

Carpio said the Constitution states that the second highest official of the land, the Vice President should take over in case the President resigns. In this case, the recognized Vice President is Robredo.

“If there’s a vacancy, if there’s a resignation in the Office of the President, it’s the Vice President who takes over – that’s very clear in the Constitution,” he said.

Although Robredo has a pending electoral case before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), Carpio stressed it would not affect the order of succession under the Constitution.

“We have to follow the Constitution,” he stressed.

Carpio believes Duterte may have been merely “expressing his thoughts” over his statements in considering to resign from office.

“Maybe he’s just exploring, expressing his thoughts but at the end of the day, we have a Constitution and we just have to follow the Constitution,” he said. – Evelyn Macairan