Vice President of the Philippines

There are at least 3 candidates vying for the position of Vice President of the Philippines.

The following are some of the candidates:

• Senator Antonio Trillanes
• Senator Bongbong Marcos
• Senator Alan Peter Cayetano
• Representative Leni Robredo
• Senator Francis Escudero

All these individuals are qualified. They are highly educated.

Senator Antonio Trillanes for instance is a graduate of the premier military institution in Asia, the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration at the University of the Philippines.

Senator Bongbong Marcos has a Special Diploma in Social Studies from Oxford University in England. He also took up a Master’s in Business Administration in Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, United States.

Senator Francis (Chiz) Escudero is also a lawyer. He finished his Law and Political Science degree at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. He also received a Master’s in International and Comparative Law at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C the United States.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano is a Lawyer. He is a graduate of the University of the Philippines. UP-Law is one of the best Law schools in the Philippines.

Representative Leni Robredo is also a lawyer. She obtained her law degree at the University of Nueva Caceres. Prior to studying law, she finished her economics degree at the University of the Philippines.

I am just wondering why are these well-educated people wanted to become the Vice President of the Philippines. What do they want? Is the salary of the Vice President more than say a Senator or Representative. Is the office of the Vice President that powerful.

All I know is that the only power the Vice President of the Philippines has is to become the President when the incumbent President dies or when he becomes incapacitated or when he is removed from office such as impeachment.

In other words, The Vice President is just like a spare tire waiting to be sworn in as President when the incumbent one dies.

So I tried to read and learn a few things about what Powers a Vice President of the Philippines have and why such position is coveted by the above-mentioned well-experienced and well-educated men and woman.

Here are some of the Powers of the Vice President of the Philippines:

1. The Vice President becomes the President when the incumbent President dies, is permanently disabled, is impeached, or resigns. The Vice President who becomes President will serve only for the unexpired term.
2. The Vice President may be appointed Cabinet member.

Some of the cabinet positions were held by previous Vice Presidents of the Philippines.

• Vice President Joseph Estrada – Chairman of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC).
• Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo – Secretary of Social Welfare and Development.
• Vice President Teofisto Guingona – Secretary of Foreign Affairs
• Vice President Noli De Castro – Secretary for Housing and Urban Development.
• Vice President Jejomar Binay – Chairman of the Housing Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

So it is ok for the Vice President to be appointed as a Cabinet Secretary but I wondered what if the Vice President of the Philippines is not appointed to any cabinet position?

Then he/she will do nothing but wait for the position of the President to be vacated. In other words, he/she is just like a spare tire.

If the Vice President will not be appointed to any cabinet position, then what will he/she do for the next 6 years.

Maybe he/she will start campaigning for the office of President in the next Presidential election.

What do you think? Please let us hear what you think by commenting below.