THE Philippines would be better off having a "dictator in the likes of (Ferdinand) Marcos" as leader than having Vice President Leni Robredo succeed him, President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday, August 30.
The Chief Executive made the remark in an event held in Cebu, as he continued to reject the constitutional succession that would install Robredo as his successor should he decide to step down before the end of his term in 2022.
"I said, you're better off choosing a dictator in the likes of Marcos. That is what I suggested," Duterte said in a speech delivered Thursday night.
"Pwede man kayong mag-constitutional succession (We can follow constitutional succession). It's Robredo but she cannot hack it," he added.
The 1987 Constitution provides that the vice president takes over the presidency, once the highest position in the land becomes vacant.
But on August 15, Duterte mentioned that he would prefer either former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son and namesake of the dictator Marcos, or incumbent Senator Francis Escudero as his successor in case he decides to step down from office.
Both Marcos and Escudero ran for vice president in the May 9, 2016 elections but lost to Robredo.
Marcos, who was narrowly defeated by Robredo, has a pending electoral protest before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.
The younger Marcos accused Robredo of rigging the 2016 poll results in her favor.
Duterte reiterated that Robredo is incompetent, stressing that the Vice President was even in denial that her bailiwick in Naga City is a "hotbed of shabu."
"If I stop now, my crusade against drugs and if there is no order in this place, [the] Philippines, and corruption will continue, patay (we will suffer)," he said.
"I stand by my word na the hotbed of [shabu is Naga] kasi 'yung brother-in-law niya ang nag-dala ng drugs doon sa Bicol. Totoo iyan. Syempre, denial," Duterte added.
(I stand by my word that the hotbed of [shabu is Naga] because her brother-in-law was the one who sneaked in drugs to Bicol. That's true. Of course, she's in denial.) (VoxPop Philippines)
