The post of the Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines, Rep. Leni Robredo might lost her post should the next administration move for a shift to federalism. The issue became the hottest topic on social media when some supporters of Leni Robredo were alarmed with the statement made by the incoming House Speaker Rep. Alvarez.
In a chance interview with some media, incoming House of Representatives Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of the First District of Davao del Norte was quoted as saying “Depende ‘yan sa pagkakasunduan ng members ng constitutional convention if it’s a convention or if it’s a constituent assembly. Kung ano ‘yung mapapagkasunduan do’n,” he stated.
Pressed on whether the abolition of the vice president’s post would be the “direction” of the Duterte administration, Alvarez said: “In a parliamentary setup, walang (there is no) vice president.”
The media asked the possible scenario if the Duterte administration will pursue their plans of shifting the form of government from a Unitarty Republic into a Federal Parliamentary. Federalism is among Duterte’s key promises in the 2016 campaign. Even before he announced plans to run for president, the outgoing Davao City mayor was among the most vocal advocates of the shift in the system of government.
Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez is poised to be elected House Speaker when the 17th Congress opens. A member of the incoming ruling party PDP-Laban, he is President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s pick to lead the lower chamber.
The PDP-Laban congressman also said that right now they got the support of Liberal Party’s top officials including House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte. The inclusion of Liberal Party in the newly-formed coalitions between some of the country’s most popular political party will form the “Supermajority” in the House of Representatives.
