Cabinet post for Robredo instead of bigger VP fund, says Lacson

It would be more practical for newly sworn-in President Rodrigo Duterte to give Vice President Leni Robredo a Cabinet position than allot more funds for her office, according to Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

Lacson on Friday said giving Robredo an “appropriate” government post would boost the Duterte administration’s propeople thrusts.

“It would be better if she’s given a post that can make use of her talent and motivation to help President Duterte’s administration fulfill their promise to the people. I have no doubt that VP Leni’s heart is in the right place in this regard,” Lacson said in a statement.

Duterte previously said he was noncommittal about giving a Cabinet post to Robredo as he did not want to hurt the feelings of his friend, defeated vice presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

The son and namesake of the late dictator lost to the widow of former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo by over 200,000 votes in the May elections.

Lacson said proposals for increasing the budget of the Office of the Vice President to help Robredo pursue her advocacies may not be practical “as there are national government agencies tasked to assist those whom Robredo wants to help.”

“I don’t think that (increasing the OVP’s budget) is practical because there are national government agencies already in place like the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment), etc., that are in charge of dispensing assistance to what seems to be the same thrust of VP Robredo,” the senator said.

Robredo, who expressed interest in leading the government’s antipoverty program, vowed to focus on uplifting the lives of poor Filipinos on the fringes of society (laylayan ng lipunan) even without a Cabinet post.

In her inaugural speech on Thursday, the former Camarines Sur lawmaker said she planned to visit the poorest remote barangays  in the country to extend the government’s help.

In their first meeting during the military’s change of command ceremony on Friday, Robredo said she took the opportunity to set an appointment with Duterte, to which the President agreed./rga