MANILA (UCAN): Father Ranhilio Aquino, dean of the San Beda Graduate School of Law in Manila, warned on June 7 that allowing incumbent Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, to run for vice president would be a violation of the spirit of the constitution and possibly see him return as president.
“The constitution expressly limits the term of the president to only one, with the consequence that no re-election is possible. But it seems equally clear … that the intent of the fundamental law is that the nation should be led by as many as are qualified so that any roundabout way of granting a second term should be disallowed,” said Father Aquino on social media.
The Philippine constitution limits a presidential tenure to one six-year term to avoid authoritarian rule as seen under former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, but there is no legal impediment stopping him from running for vice president.
Duterte has revealed that he is open to running for vice president while his daughter runs for the presidency in 2022, stoking fears that he is seeking a second term by having a close ally serve as a puppet president.
Critics fear that Duterte could be exploiting a loophole whereby as vice president he could become the president again if the incumbent dies or is permanently disabled.
“If a president who has completed one term runs for vice president, what is there to prevent subterfuge between the new presidential candidate and the former president now running for vice president? The new president spends a few token months in office to resign the presidency, resulting in a second term for the former president,” Father Aquino said.
“To allow for the mere possibility that a president gets a second term is to allow for the possibility of a violation of the clear intent as well as the letter of the constitution,” he said.
