VICE PRESIDENT Maria Leonor 鈥Leni鈥 G. Robredo on Monday congratulated her successor Sara Duterte-Carpio on her proclamation and said her office is ready to meet with the new leader鈥s team for a smooth transition.听听
“We respectfully acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 27 May 2022 requesting an initial meeting between our respective teams,” Ms. Robredo said in a letter to President Rodrigo R. Duterte鈥s daughter and the outgoing mayor of Davao City.听听
鈥Please be advised that we are ready to meet to answer any questions you may have regarding the Office of the Vice President and to take all necessary steps to ensure a smooth transition,鈥 she added.听听
Ms. Duterte鈥s letter to Ms. Robredo requested for a virtual meeting between their teams to discuss the transition. 听
Ms. Robredo ran for the presidency in the 2022 elections but lost to Ms. Duterte’s running mate, Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.听听听
Ms. Robredo, leader of the opposition, just briefly joined President Rodrigo R. Duterte鈥s Cabinet as housing secretary in 2016. Philippine vice presidents are customarily appointed by the president to head a department.听听听
Nonetheless, governance experts have said that Ms. Robredo has raised the standards for the second highest executive office in the country.听听
Ms. Robredo鈥s 鈥livelihood, health and crisis response programs set new standards for the Office of the Vice President,鈥 said Maria Ela L. Atienza, who teaches political science at the University of the Philippines.听听
鈥Her office does not only provide dole-outs or patronage but there is a livelihood and empowerment component,鈥 she said in a Viber message.听听
Leonardo Lanzona, who teaches economics at the Ateneo De Manila University, noted that the vice president鈥s measly annual budget has not stopped her from launching initiatives with the help of both the public and private sectors.听听听
鈥Since she had advocacies and causes even before she was elected VP, she decided to continue her programs at a higher level as VP despite the limited budget,鈥 Mr. Lanzona said in a Messenger chat. 鈥 Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza听
