FIRST SAY:
“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
― Abraham Lincoln
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Vice President Sara Duterte has resigned. The Presidential Communication Office (PCO) issued a terse statement on her resignation yesterday afternoon:
“At 2:21 pm today, 19 June 2024, Vice President Sara Z. Duterte went to Malacanang and tendered her resignation as Member of the Cabinet, Secretary of the Department of Education and Vice Chairperson of the NTF-ELCAC, effective today, 19 July 2024.
“She declined to give a reason why. She will continue to serve as Vice President. We thank her for her service.”
I didn’t know that today is July 19, 2024 already!
Well, after more than 2 hours, the PCO discovered the error and rewrote it: … “Vice Chairperson of the NTF-ELCAC, effective 19 July 2024.”
So, it’s clear. VP Sara will have a full month to wind up her work in the two executive offices that she held before actually leaving the government of President Bongbong Marcos. This will also give her replacement enough time to prepare.
Sara Duterte’s stay at the Bongbong Cabinet is expected to be short lived—at least, expected by me. She and Bongbong campaigned and were elected together on the platform of “Unity,” even calling their partnership as “UniTeam,” and an ecstatic kingmaker-sister proclaimed to high heavens that it was “a team made in Heaven.” I tend to agree with Senator Imee, considering how I understand heaven to be.
When the open political war between her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and the President began, pundits have started to count the days until Sara Duterte resigns from the Cabinet. The Maisug rallies in Davao del Norte, Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, New York, Japan and other places exacerbated the tension, and early commenters on X about the breaking news of Sara Duterte’s resignation showed a majority of them were already waiting for this day to arrive—the actual resignation of the VP and the dissolution of the UniTeam.
Systemic flaw in the OVP
The Philippines copied the United States government by having a President and a Vice President but they are elected separately and not as a team. In the US, when a President wins, his or her VP also wins to complete the team. Voting the two positions separately in the Philippines creates a systemic flaw because oftentimes, the two leaders come from different political parties and therefore are feud-prone from the very start.
Recent history will tell us that this organizational flaw just wouldn’t work.
Look at what happened with President Ferdinand E. Marcos and Vice President Fernando Lopez. Then, President Cory Aquino and VP Salvador Laurel; President Joseph Ejercito Estrada and Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, then President Rodrigo Duterte and VP Leni Robredo. These are all examples of leadership tandems made up of personalities from different political persuasions.
Seldom did we see a relatively harmonious relationship between the President and his VP, like the cooperation displayed by the partnership of President Fidel V. Ramos and Vice President Joseph Estrada.
If we have to copy the American system, then perhaps it should be best for the country to copy it completely, with the President and the VP being elected together.
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It is interesting how the various embassies of countries with close ties to the Philippines, are supporting the country’s position in the South China Sea problem
The State Department has reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) following China’s latest actions in the SCS that involved a Chinese Coast Guard “ramming and towing” a Filipino vessel.
During a call about the June 17 incident, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Maria Theresa Lazaro and Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell ”shared concerns” over China’s activities and agreed that its “dangerous actions threatened regional peace and stability”.
Campbell said Article IV of the 1951 United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty “extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft – including those of its Coast Guard – anywhere in the South China Sea.”
In a separate statement, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller described China’s way of disrupting Manila’s resupply mission as “escalatory and irresponsible”.
“PRC (People’s Republic of China) vessels’ dangerous and deliberate use of water cannons, ramming, blocking maneuvers, and towing damaged Philippine vessels, endangered the lives of Philippine service members, is reckless, and threatens regional peace and stability,” he said.
He said Beijing’s actions shows its “consistent disregard for the safety” of Filipinos and for international law in the South China Sea.
In a post on X, the New Zealand Embassy in Manila also called these actions “escalatory and dangerous.”
Escalatory and dangerous
“Escalatory and dangerous actions by Chinese vessels at Second Thomas Shoal damaging Philippine vessels and obstructing assistance to injured personnel are of great concern,” it said.
“These threaten lives and safety. New Zealand calls for peaceful resolution of disputes in full accordance with UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea).”
The embassies of South Korea, Germany, and Australia also shared the “grave” and “serious concern” over the incident.
“Australia shares the Philippines’ deep concern at dangerous & illegal actions by China’s vessels near Second Thomas Shoal, causing injury, damaging Philippines vessels, and endangering lives & regional stability. States must act consistently with international law, including UNCLOS,” Australian Ambassador HK Yu said over X.
The South Korean Embassy, meanwhile, reiterated that South China serves as a “critical sea lane of communications” for countries using it.
“The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines expresses grave concern about the recent dangerous actions in the South China Sea that caused serious damages to the Philippine vessels and especially bodily injuries to a crew member,” it said.
“We reiterate the importance of upholding peace, stability, safety and rules-based maritime order in the South China Sea, a critical sea lane of communications for all countries that are using it,” it said.
The United Kingdom and Canada also joined several foreign missions that condemned China’s actions and called for the peaceful resolution of disputes at sea.
With the numerous statements of support the Philippines is getting from these embassies, our officials might genuinely believe that we are on the right track in handling this very sensitive issue.
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