Under the House panel’s draft federal charter, Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo cannot replace President Rodrigo Duterte if the chief executive’s seat becomes vacant during the transition period to a federal form of government.
Article XVII, Section 4 of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments’ draft federal charter, proposed by House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her allies, states that both Duterte and Robredo will act as the president and vice president until the federal election on the second Monday of May 2022.
However, if Duterte will leave the president’s seat “by reason of removal, resignation, permanent incapacity or death… the incumbent Senate President shall as act as President until a President shall have been chosen and qualified,” thus excluding the vice president to takeover.
The article is also applicable during the transition period to the new federal government.
Earlier, Duterte expressed that he will be stepping down from his post as early as 2020 once the federal form of government is in place.
Contrary to the House panel’s draft charter, the 1987 Constitution states that the vice president must succeed the president, followed by the Senate President and then the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Other provisions included in the panel’s draft federal charter state that the term of the incumbent President and Vice President will not be extended and will formally end on June 30, 2022.
Moreover, Duterte and Robredo will also be barred from seeking reelection under the proposed federal constitution.
The draft federal charter’s resolution has been endorsed to the chamber’s plenary.
