Belmonte on Duterte-Robredo working relationship: 'Give them a chance'

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. is optimistic that the relationship between President-elect Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President-elect Leni Robredo will improve even if efforts to have them meet have yet to succeed.

“Let’s give them a chance. Ngayon pa lang naman sila magsisimula,” Belmonte told reporters at the sidelines of the turnover of a bronze statue of Jose Rizal and an original copy of the 1935 Constitution at Batasang Pambansa.

"It’s just a matter of time [before] they get themselves to getting into a working relationship with each other,” Belmonte added.

The Speaker, a vice chairman of the Liberal Party, said Duterte and Robredo will eventually have to talk to each other in the course of performing their duties.

“Each will become a reality, in the political life of the country–one will become really the President, the other one will become really the Vice President. At some point, magkakaroon din sila ng pagkakataon mag-usap,” he said.

Belmonte said the entire country would lose if the two officials’ relationship do not improve over the course of their terms, especially since he believes Robredo is competent to work alongside Duterte.

“We’re gonna be the loser here because here’s somebody holding that position [of vice president]. Parang anong message ‘yun? Di natin siya bibigyan ng pagkakataong maglingkod?” he said.

Robredo earlier said she has yet to meet with Duterte even if her staff has been reaching out to the incoming president's camp to ask for his schedule.

"Nagsubok tayo na makakuha ng appointment pero hindi pa tayo nakakakuha ng schedule. Hindi pa naman tayo nawawalan ng pag-asa," she said in an interview during the National Day Celebration for the Filipino Community in Japan last Sunday.

The Vice President-elect, who ran under LP, said she understood that Duterte is busy. She said she is waiting for the proper time for them to meet.

Duterte has also not committed a Cabinet post for Robredo, saying he did not want to offend Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the Vice President-elect’s closest rival in the May 9 elections.

Meanwhile, Belmonte said he will attend the inauguration of Duterte even if he has received an invitation to be at Robredo’s oath-taking and that of Quezon City officials.

The Speaker won a third term as the congressional representative of Quezon City’s fourth district.

“Very likely I’ll go there (Duterte’s inauguration). I’ll try to hurry to the other events kung puwede. But the first priority is to attend the President’s inauguration,” he said.

Duterte and Robredo will hold separate inauguration ceremonies on Thursday. The President-elect will take his oath at the Rizal Hall in Malacañang while the latter will be sworn in at the Quezon City Reception House, where she will hold office. —ALG, GMA News