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:

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

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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 Masters Degree in Public Administration

at University of the Philippines.

Senator Bongbong Marcos has a Special Diploma in Social Studies

from Oxford University in England. He also took up Masters 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 Masters in

International and Comparative Law at the Georgetown University

Law Center in Washington, D.C in 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 school in the Philippines.

Representative Leni Robredo is also a lawyer. She obtained her

law degree at University of Nueva Caceres. Prior to studying

law, she finished her economics degree at 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 what Powers do 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 held by previous Vice Presidents

of the Philippines.

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• 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).

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So its 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

for the next Presidential election.

What do you think? Please let us hear what you think by

commenting below.