Despite poll, Duterte unlikely to appoint Robredo as DSWD chief

August 18, 2017

Malacanang said on Friday it could be unlikely President Rodrigo Duterte would appoint Vice President Leni Robredo as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

This was after Assistant Secretary for Social Media Margaux "Mocha" Uson of the Presidential Communications Operations Office came out with an online survey showing Robredo is the top choice to replace Judy Taguiwalo whose nomination was rejected by the Commission on Appointments.

"I’m sure the President has other ways of measuring a candidate’s capability aside from surveys," said Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella in a press briefing.

"I mean, I’m not saying no for Leni. I’m just saying that it seems to be a difficult choice," he said.

Abella recalled Robredo had quit from the Cabinet as chairperson of the Housing Urban Development and Coordination Committee after she was eased out from a Cabinet meeting due to her personal differences with Duterte.

Robredo has been critical about the alleged extrajudicial killings of drug suspects in the country.

Taguiwalo was Duterte's third Cabinet nominee rejected by the CA. The other two were Perfecto Yasay Jr for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Regina Lopez for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Abella did not see this as a repudiation of Duterte's prerogative to appoint somebody in the Cabinet.

"Well, he (Duterte) also respects the boundaries between the three branches of government," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS