Roque viewed as a threat

Batas Mauricio .

WHAT is this I am hearing that the reason why presidential spokesman Harry Roque was removed from his position was that, many of those who are close to President Duterte now fear the former party list congressman because he has become very popular as a result of his almost daily exposure in newspapers, radio, television and online media?

According to my friends in government, Roque had to be eased out of the platform which has has made him very visible to millions and millions of Filipinos everyday, because this had made him extremely likable among the citizenry who will cast their votes in 2022, giving him a distinct advantage over others from the Duterte camp who are eyeing the presidency that year.

The fact is that Roque’s capability as a leader and as an administrator, and as an effective expounder of issues involving the President, is getting to be highly appreciated across different geographical locations and political groupings, and is even given a much-needed boost when typhoon Ompong ravaged the country recently.

Perhaps, even Roque himself was unaware that he was in fact at the center of government efforts to assist our countrymen who were then being drenched with rain and assaulted by rising floods and strong winds at that time. Many ambitious functionaries, I was told, clearly got afraid of the impact Roque acquired among our citizenry that time.

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I truly cannot understand the kind of argument that is now being espoused by Leyte 3rd District Rep. Vicente Veloso to justify their approval of a proposal that would remove the Vice President as the successor of the President, if the chief executive would step down from power, or becomes unable to discharge the duties and responsibilities of the highest office of the country.

What, Cong. Ching? Are you saying that the intent of the proposal you and your colleagues approved is geared towards stability of leadership in the Philippines by making the president of the Senate replace the President if he is separated from the presidency? That, the reason why you are removing the Vice President from the line of succession is that the Vice President, who is mandated by law to replace the departing President, is usually seen to undertake maneuvers to hasten the President’s ouster?

Would this not happen likewise if the president of the Senate shall be designated as the successor of the President? Would it not be also certain that the Senate president shall himself (or herself) undertake maneuvers, so he (or she) could claim the presidency for himself (or herself) once the sitting President is out of office? Cong. Ching, what you and your group should be striving to do is to transform yourselves first as leaders of this country, from the President, to the Vice President, and senators and congressmen, to stop them from being power-greedy for their own benefit alone.

E-mail: batasmauricio@yahoo.com