Vice President Sara Duterte,speaks to the members of the media during Press Conference at OVP Central Office, Mandaluyong City in this file photo taken on February 7, 2025. INQUIRER.net / ARNEL TACSON
MANILA, Philippines — The vice president of the country is not a mere “spare tire” to the chief executive, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said on Wednesday.
OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo made the pronouncement when asked about Vice President Sara Duterte being referred to as a “spare tire” to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
READ: Sara Duterte still mum on 2028 election plans: ‘I might get killed’
“All of us here think that the vice president — not necessarily VP Sara Duterte — all VPs are looked at as spare tires. But if you really think about it, the Vice President should be as prepared as the President,” said Castelo.
“Should anything happen to him, who assumes the responsibility? It’s the Vice President,” she added.
Castelo emphasized that Duterte’s mandate is the same as the President’s, as stated in the 1987 Constitution.
Keeping VP out of the gov’t loop a ‘great disservice’
Because of this, Castelo said withholding support or funding from the Office of the Vice President would be a “great disservice to the country.”
“Keeping her out of the loop or not being able to provide funds for her projects and programs is a great disservice to the country because if anything happens, the VP is forced to assume the position of the President,” Castelo said.
“…and the services now being delivered by the VP through her office is a way of preparing herself just in case anything happens from now until 2028,” she added. /jpv
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