Palace says VP Robredo 'a difficult choice' as next DSWD chief

Vice President Leni Robredo would be a "difficult choice" as Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) secretary, presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Friday.

At a press briefing in Malacañang, Abella said Robredo had already resigned from a Cabinet-level post — as Housing Secretary — in December last year.

"Perhaps, there might be conditionalities that may not be too favorable regarding that. I don’t know. It all depends on the President," he said, after Robredo topped an unofficial online survey of Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson on the next DSWD chief.

"I mean, I’m not saying no for Leni. I’m just saying that it seems to be a difficult choice," Abella said.

Uson conducted the survey after the bicameral Commission on Appointments (CA) rejected the appointment of Prof. Judy Taguiwalo as DSWD secretary.

Aside from Robredo, the other choices were former Tarlac Representative Nikki Prieto-Teodoro and DSWD Assistant Secretary Lorraine Badoy.

Uson has already expressed her preference for Badoy, an avid supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte, to be the next DSWD secretary.

When asked about Uson's survey, Abella said: "I'm sure the President has other ways of measuring a candidate’s capability aside from surveys... It means that the President has a different set of categories."

As of 5:07 p.m. on Friday, Robredo was on top with over 82 percent of the 14,218 votes, followed by "others" with 10 percent, Badoy with six percent, then Teodoro with two percent.

Sinong gusto niyo ilagay sa DSWD?

— Mocha Uson Blog (@MochaUson) August 17, 2017

Malacañang has yet to announce Taguiwalo's replacement as well as DSWD officer in charge. —KBK, GMA News