IN the United States, the President and the Vice President compose just one ticket, so that a vote for the President is also a confirmation of approval for his/her running mate.
The American VP is also a literal partner and alter ego of the President, as they share the same advocacies and ideals of governance espoused by their common political party. The VP is the presiding officer of the US Senate, the better to steering through the legislative mill the administration’s priority bills and appointments.
While the Philippine political system mirrors that of the US, there are some differences. Here, our senators elect among themselves the presiding officer, the Senate president, who wields considerable political and legislative power.
In the last vice presidential debate sponsored by the Commission on Elections, the candidates were asked if they prefer “tandem voting” as a way of electing the VP.
‘It is good that the vice presidential bets are talking sense on the position that they are aspiring for. We need intelligent discussions in our election debates.’
Dr. Willie Ong, Sen. Francis Pangilinan and Carlos Serapio favor the tandem vote. They upheld the position that the vice president should not be treated as a spare tire, just waiting for the president to die or be constitutionally disqualified to assume the top post. They believe that the president and the vice president should work together as a team. Considering the propensity of voters to choose the president and the VP from different political parties, the tandem vote looks like a workable solution.
Professor and former party-list Rep. Walden Bello said the election of candidates from rival political parties is OK, because the principle of check and balance in the executive branch is always welcome. Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, agrees with Bello on the “check and balance” issue, adding that tandem voting will limit choices and is not good for democracy.
“In the Philippines, with 64 million voters, will we allow the presidential candidate to be the one to determine the vice president? That’s 64 million Filipinos who should vote who they want to be the leader of the country, right?” Sotto said.
Both Sotto and Pangilinan believe that the position of vice president is an important one, with both senators stressing that it is up to the person elected as VP to prove what he/she can do by way of service to the people. Of course, there is the natural constraint that all vice presidents face — lack of funds in the Office of the Vice President, which limits to a large extent what the VP can do.
Sotto said that a VP alone could already do a lot, but the position would be doubly important if we follow the US system and make the Vice President also the president and presiding officer of the Senate of the Philippines. That would be collapsing two important positions into one — this sounds sensible, considering the huge savings the government will have if such a constitutional amendment is passed and ratified by the people.
It is good that the vice presidential bets are talking sense on the position that they are aspiring for. We need intelligent discussions in our election debates.
