IF VICE President Sara Duterte gets impeached, Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero is not willing to step in and become the country’s second highest government official.

Even if the position will be offered to him, Escudero said he will decline it out of delicadeza.

The possibility of Escudero replacing Duterte was discussed when he graced a press conference in Sorsogon on Tuesday, February 25.

"Ang pangit naman nun sa panlasa. Kami ang magdedesisyon kaugnay niyan tapos yun pala interesado ako at gusto ko pala (That's in poor taste. We’re the ones who will decide about that, but it turns out I’m actually interested and I like it)," Escudero said in a Manila Bulletin report.

Duterte is facing an impeachment trial in the Senate in which the senators will serve as judges.

"So ngayon pa lang sinasabi ko na hindi ako interesado at tatanggihan ko yun kung inalok man sa akin yun. Hindi tama at hindi dapat ginagawa yun (So, let me say this now—I’m not interested, and I will reject it if it’s ever offered to me. It’s not right, and it shouldn’t be done)," he added.

Escudero added that even those lawmakers from the House of Representatives who signed the impeachment complaint against Duterte should not consider accepting such an offer.

"So prudence is the better part of valor, 'delikadesa' is rarely seen in government but I think we can always go back to it and rekindle and refresh it in the minds of our people," he added.

Escudero said that if the Vice President is impeached, it is not him who will automatically get the post, explaining that the President will have to choose from among the members of Congress.

"It's not simply because I’m number three, the VP is number two, the President is number one, and the Speaker is number four, it doesn’t mean number three replaces number two. That’s not how it works," he stated.

Escudero explained that the requirements to become Vice President are the same as those for becoming a congressman or senator, except for one—age.

A congressman must be at least 25 years old, a senator 35, and the minimum age for the president and vice president is 40.

• Tags
• # Sara Duterte
• #Chiz Escudero
• #Vice President
• #Delicadeza
• #Impeachment