Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The race to 2016 for vice president is unprecedented in the country’s history.
At least six lawmakers have signified their intention to run for the post.
Leading political observers to note there seems to be more at stake this time for the second highest position.
“What’s interesting now is that people, on their own, even if they are part of the same party, they would announce their own bid for the VP,” according to Prof. Jan Robert Go of the University of the Philippines Political Science Department. “And that’s something interesting, what’s with the VP?”
Go believes this has something to do with controversies hounding the current leading presidential candidate insofar as pre-election surveys are concerned.
“If the court rules against Grace Poe, anyone of these VP wannabes can become president,” Go said.
Aside from inheriting the highest office, if something happens to the president, the vice president, under the Constitution, has no under responsibilities, other than those assigned by the president.
And if the president and vice president are at odds politically, this would mean mean either getting a token Cabinet post or none at all.
So what’s at stake waiting in line for six years?
Handled well, Go believes the vice presidency is a strategic springboard to the presidency.
“You can use the position. That’s why when VP Binay resigned from his post in the Cabinet, that was very important because he can already go around the country and do his informal campaigns.”
The country has had 15 presidents, six of whom were former vice-presidents. A few became president after the death or ouster of the chief executive. The rest won in regular elections.
So what’s at stake for the VP wannabes? A six-year head start to Malacañan beginning 2016.
