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Robredo: Term-sharing for president, VP unconstitutional


Vice President Leni Robredo said Friday that term sharing for the presidency and vice presidency is unconstitutional.

Robredo was reacting to the suggestion of Quezon province governor Danilo Suarez that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and former Senator Bongbong Marcos Jr. should just share the six-year presidency.

Suarez, a stalwart of Lakas-CMD, said the one who will win as president will yield the post to the vice president after three years.  This is in a scenario where both Sara Duterte and Marcos will win, he said.

"Iyong term-sharing para sa president at saka vice president, hindi naman iyon puwede under the Constitution kasi binobotohan natin for six years," Robredo, a lawyer, said in an interview in Cebu.

(Term sharing for the president and vice president is not allowed under the Constitution because we elect each of them for a six-year term.)

"Hindi naman ito subject ng any internal arrangements (This Constitutional provision is not subject to internal arrangements)," Robredo added.

Sara, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, quit her regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago on Thursday and joined national party Lakas-CMD on the same day.

As a member of the national political party such as Lakas-CMD, Sara can substitute Anna Velasco and Lyle Fernando Uy who filed certificate of candidacy (COC) for president and vice president under Lakas-CMD, respectively for the 2022 polls.

The deadline for entering the race via substitution is on November 15.

Prior to joining Lakas-CMD, Mayor Sara withdrew her COC for Davao City mayor.

Robredo, however, said that movements on the other side of the fence does not make her blink.

"Ako kasi laban lang namin iyong inaasikaso namin. Kami naman when we decided, kabahagi na siya ng expectations (Our focus is in our fight. When we decided to get into this, these things are among the expectations)," Robredo said.

"I don’t think iyong galaw namin should be affected by external decisions. Sa amin, klaro sa amin iyong focus kaya hindi naman kami bothered (Our move should not be affected by external decision. As far as we are concerned, it is clear where our focus should be, and as such, we are not bothered)," she added.

Cebu

Robredo won the vote-rich Cebu, which has over 2.5 million registered voters,  during the 2016 elections.

However, she maintained that bailiwicks are earned, not given. 

"Cebu is very, very important. It is one of the biggest provinces. Maybe, were it not for the fact that Cebu gave me a huge majority in the 2016 elections, hindi siguro ako nanalo (I could not have won)," Robredo said.

"But having said that, I’m not entitled to anything. I still have to work hard to earn their trust and the support given to me in 2016 for the 2022 elections," Robredo added.

Robredo beat Marcos in Cebu province in the 2016 with 590,777 votes as against 196,943.

Likewise, Robredo also beat Marcos in the cities of Lapu-Lapu (63,766 against 21,104) and Cebu (162,509 against 92,007).—LDF, GMA News

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