Last Sunday, June 19, Sara Duterte-Carpio was inaugurated as the 15th vice president of the Philippines at San Pedro Square in her native Davao City. The date coincided with the 161st birthday anniversary of our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Being the 3rd Sunday of June, it also fell on Fathers’ Day, which was widely celebrated in many parts of the world.
The guests were led by her father, President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who was beaming with pride during the ceremony. And who wouldn’t? It’s the first time in our political history that a presidential daughter was sworn into the office of the vice presidency immediately following the presidential term of her father. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed her office in 1998 as vice president of President Erap Estrada after three presidents had left the office since her father, President Diosdado Macapagal, ended his term in 1965. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando administered VP Sara’s oath-taking, which was witnessed by a multitude. She will formally assume office, together with President-elect BBM, who also witnessed the inauguration, at noon on June 30.
The VP is the second highest official in our government. The position performs executive functions, which the Constitution and the laws assign to her. Normally, the VP gets a cabinet position that best suits his or her qualifications and experience. The first vice president, Sergio Osmeña Sr., for instance, was named secretary of Public Instruction, Health and Public Welfare. VP Elpidio Quirino, Carlos P. Garcia, Emmanuel N. Pelaez, Arturo M. Tolentino, Salvador P. Laurel, and Teofisto Guingona, Jr. were appointed as secretary/minister of Foreign Affairs. Vice President Fernando Lopez held the Agriculture Department portfolio. VP Erap Esrada served as the chairman of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission although he was not a partymate of President Fidel V. Ramos. Both VP Noli de Castro and Jejomar Binay held the chairmanship of Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council. This was also the position given to VP Leni Robredo but she only stayed in office for less than six months after the President stopped inviting her to cabinet meetings. For 19 days, VP Leni also served as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs. But this was better than the case of VP Diosdado P. Macapagal, the first VP elected from the rival political party opposed to the president, who was not given any cabinet position or responsibility by President Carlos P. Garcia. Unless we consider Osmeña Sr., VP Sara will be the first VP to become the secretary of the Department of Education, which is deemed a critical function in light of the pandemic crisis. I’m certain that she will surround herself with technocrats and competent professionals to run the massive and complex organization. Her role under the new administration will be far from just being ceremonial, like receiving visiting officials from other governments or inaugurating new highways and public buildings.
The first US vice president, John Adams, commented to his wife upon assuming his office that the vice presidency was “the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived.” Over the years, the role has become more important although it largely depends on the occupant of the office. Before accepting Barack Obama’s offer to draft him as Obama’s tandem, Joe Biden asked that if they win the election, “he would have the last voice in the room.” So, on every important issue affecting the state, VP Biden’s opinion carried considerable weight during Obama’s presidency.
Under Section 8, Article VII of the Philippine Constitution, “in case of death, permanent disability, removal from office, or resignation of the President, the Vice President shall become the President to serve the unexpired term.” Thus, if the vice president does not hold any cabinet position, the vice president only stands and waits for the contingency to befall the president, especially if he or she belongs to the opposition. Under Sec. 2 of Article XI of the Constitution, the vice president “may be removed from office by impeachment for culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust.” So it’s prudent that the vice president should behave and keep in mind to stay out of trouble to avoid impeachment. It must be recalled that there was an attempt to impeach VP Leni Robredo for criticizing the President’s drug war in a video shown abroad. Supporters of the impeachment complaint claimed that such criticism amounted to betrayal of public trust. Many describe the vice president as a spare tire, which becomes useful only when the president dies, vacates his office or is removed. Thus, VP Elpidio Quirino replaced President Manuel Roxas upon the latter’s death from heart attack in 1947 after delivering a speech in Clark. Likewise, VP Carlos P. Garcia became president when President Ramon F. Magsaysay died from a plane crash in 1957. On the other hand, VP Gloria M. Arroyo succeeded President Erap Estrada when the latter was ousted from office. And that was the late Manila Mayor Arsenio H. Lacson’s greatest regret. He was personally offered by then presidential aspirant Magsaysay to be his running mate when the latter ran for president in 1953, but Lacson declined, preferring to stay as the mayor of Manila. When Lacson learned of Magsaysay’s sudden death, he exclaimed to his newspaperman friend Max Soliven: “That was the worst ‘medical’ miscalculation I ever made in my life.” But the worst commentary ever made about the office of the vice presidency was made by John Nance Garner, two-term vice president of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who lamented that the office “is not worth a bucket of warm piss.” Long after he left office as vice president, he told a reporter in 1957 that his election as VP “was the worst thing that ever happened to me.”
Knowing her assertive personality, Vice President Sara will be more than a spare tire or a substitute in waiting. She will be an active partner of President-elect BBM in pursuing the programs and policies of his administration. It would be foolhardy of the president-elect to keep her at arms-length particularly on critical issues affecting our country. Holding a key cabinet position as the secretary of Education, VP Sara can make valuable contributions to the success of BBM’s presidency. And she will not be doing it only for our country. More importantly, this will be her best opportunity to show her worth as a national leader. She should be perceived as an indispensable partner and collaborator of the President in serving our people.
When then President Dwight Eisenhower was asked by reporters what was the major contribution of VP Richard Nixon to his administration, Eisenhower replied: “Well, if you give me a week I might think of one.” And guess who succeeded Eisenhower.
With over 32 million votes, VP Sara received the highest number of votes in the last elections. As she stressed in her inaugural address, “the voice of 32.2 million voters was loud and clear.” She faces an awesome task as she embarks to consecrate herself to the service of the nation “to change life, to save life…” Her overwhelming mandate makes VP Sara a heavy favorite in the next presidential election. She knows that the vice presidency will be the litmus test for the presidency. Post Edsa, only two VPs were elected presidents—Joseph Estrada and Gloria M. Arroyo. VPs Doy Laurel, Teofisto Guingona, Noli de Castro, Jojo Binay and Leni Robredo did not become president. VP Sara knows that the VP role is a big shoe to fill, but she has to step up if she wants to follow in the footsteps of her father.