Robredo Thinks that She will still be the Vice President in the Next 3 Years Despite Marcos’ Protest

The presumptive Philippine Vice President said in an interview that the honeymoon of her relationship with President Rodrigo Du30 did not last long. Talking to a US interviewer, she explained that it was because he allowed the burial of the late President Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes’ Cemetery. Marcos is the father of her archrival for the VP Post, Bongbong Marcos whose electoral protest against her is still ongoing.

Democracy and Community Development

Robredo spoke at the CSIS-Pertamina Banyan Tree Leadership Forum in Washington DC on October 17, 2018. Robredo discussed the importance of upholding accountability and the rule of law in the quest for democracy and community development in the 21st century. Framing the discussion within the context of US-Philippine relations. Nevertheless, Robredo fails to recognize that staying in a questionable position due to election fraud is very undemocratic.

The Most Vilified Officer

After repeated attacks against her from the President himself, Robredo believes she is the “most vilified” government official in the country. She made the statement during an open forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington. Robredo said that she tries to make their relationship civil but the Filipino leader often makes comments that would irk their supporters. Again, she can never admit that the President only retaliates whenever she accuses the government of out of tune claims.

Amicable Existence

Du30 may have repeatedly belittled Robredo’s capabilities to lead the country. He calls her “incompetent” and “weak.” The opposition leader is often the subject of criticisms on social media since she assumed the vice presidency in June 2016. The manner of his victory proves to be very suspicious. It coincides with the pattern of digital manipulation. Therefore, people can only bring their sentiments to social media since they feel that their votes were not properly counted. Despite these, Robredo said she continues to look for avenues where her dealings with the President could be amicable.

Often Civil but Sometimes Combatant

Robredo said her relationship with Du30 “has been civil most of the time.” “The President would issue statements from time to time that is a little combative. And it has polarized their supporters,” she said. However, she thinks that they both could hold on to the top 2 positions in the country in the remaining years of their term.

Waiting for the Takeover

“But you know, I am well aware that we will still be president and vice president for the next three years, so I keep telling my staff that in spite of the noise, we have to have our eyes on the target, to be mindful of what we want to achieve after six years. To have a laser-light focus on the things we want to do, despite the atmosphere,” she added. After all, she is still banking on the idea that her ultimate job is to wait for a possible takeover when something happens to the President.