VICE PRESIDENT Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo on Monday congratulated her successor Sara Duterte-Carpio on her proclamation and said her office is ready to meet with the new leader’s team for a smooth transition.
“We respectfully acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 27 May 2022 requesting an initial meeting between our respective teams,” Ms. Robredo said in a letter to President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s daughter and the outgoing mayor of Davao City.
“Please be advised that we are ready to meet to answer any questions you may have regarding the Office of the Vice President and to take all necessary steps to ensure a smooth transition,” she added.
Ms. Duterte’s letter to Ms. Robredo requested for a virtual meeting between their teams to discuss the transition.
Ms. Robredo ran for the presidency in the 2022 elections but lost to Ms. Duterte’s running mate, Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.
Ms. Robredo, leader of the opposition, just briefly joined President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s Cabinet as housing secretary in 2016. Philippine vice presidents are customarily appointed by the president to head a department.
Nonetheless, governance experts have said that Ms. Robredo has raised the standards for the second highest executive office in the country.
Ms. Robredo’s “livelihood, health and crisis response programs set new standards for the Office of the Vice President,” said Maria Ela L. Atienza, who teaches political science at the University of the Philippines.
“Her office does not only provide dole-outs or patronage but there is a livelihood and empowerment component,” she said in a Viber message.
Leonardo Lanzona, who teaches economics at the Ateneo De Manila University, noted that the vice president’s measly annual budget has not stopped her from launching initiatives with the help of both the public and private sectors.
“Since she had advocacies and causes even before she was elected VP, she decided to continue her programs at a higher level as VP despite the limited budget,” Mr. Lanzona said in a Messenger chat. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
