Robredo lawyer twits Duterte for ‘forgetting’ running mate Cayetano

The legal counsel of Vice President Leni Robredo on Wednesday twitted President Rodrigo Duterte for not mentioning his 2016 running mate, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, as one of his choices to succeed him if he steps down from office.

"Hanggang dito ba naman nakalimutan pa rin si Alan?" Attorney Barry Gutierrez said in a tweet.

In questioning the competence of Robredo as his possible successor, Duterte earlier mentioned would only give up the presidency if the likes of Senator Francis Escudero or former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will replace him.

Gutierrez then stressed that Escudero and Marcos both lost in the 2016 polls: "Pasensiya na siya, pero talo si BBM at Chiz nung eleksyon."

"Una, 155,000 na pamilya ang natulungan ni VP Leni, na walang anomalya, walang kurakot, at habang walang puwesto sa Cabinet," Gutierrez said.

Robredo defeated Escudero and Marcos in the 2016 vice presidential race. Although Marcos's petition to unseat her remains pending before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

Marcos lost to Robredo by 263,473 votes in the May 2016 election.

Gutierrez earlier lambasted Duterte after the the latter questioned Robredo's leadership ability. The lawyer also slammed some of the appointees of the present administration.

"Mga 'competent' ayon sa Pangulo: Tourism Secretary na walang ginawa kundi mangurakot, NDRRMC head na nawawala kapag baha, NFA chief na naubusan ng bigas. Kanya na 'yung endorsement niya, sumunod na lang tayo sa Konstitusyon," Gutierrez said.

The Chief Executive previously deemed Robredo as "incompetent" to replace him as the country's leader. This came after Robredo said she was willing to take the role of leading the opposition.

In response, Robredo encouraged Duterte to address the Philippine economy's problems instead of insulting her. — MDM/BAP, GMA News