No other option to pick next president but VP: Drilon

“Wala pong option sa ating Saligang Batas. Kung magbitiw po ang Pangulo, ang Pangalawang Pangulo ang mag-assume ng position,” Drilon told reporters in an interview. (File photo: VP Leni Robredo/Facebook)

MANILA— There is no other option to select the next President of the Philippines aside from the assumption of the sitting vice president, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said on Wednesday.

The explanation comes following musings from President Rodrigo Duterte on his readiness to step down if the likes of Senator Chiz Escudero and former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will succeed him.

“Wala pong option sa ating Saligang Batas. Kung magbitiw po ang Pangulo, ang Pangalawang Pangulo ang mag-assume ng position,” Drilon told reporters in an interview.

(There are no other options in our Constitution. If the president will step down, the vice president will assume the position.)

Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the chief executive may have been saying these out of frustration but he believes he will not surrender. “Nasasabi lang niya ‘yon. Siguro dahil nga pagod (That might be musings because of exhaustion).”

But should the president resign, Sotto answering to a theoretical question, said the government will run as usual.

“As I’ve said, our government is stable, may system, may structure ang gobyerno natin, kahit sinong nakaupo tatakbo ‘yan (As I’ve said, our government is stable, the government has a system and a structure, it will run as usual no matter who is in the position),” he said.

Earlier, President Duterte floated the possibility of his resignation due to frustration with corruption problems in the Philippines.