The Problem When Your President And Vice President Come From Two Opposing Sides

Let's just imagine the Philippines is an airplane and President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Vice President Leni Loud Robredo are the pilots. The Manila Times cartoon really might tell you what's wrong with the presidential system. The whole idea of people voting the president and vice president from TWO DIFFERENT PARTIES is stupid. Sure, we had some cooperation when it happened when Fidel V. Ramos had Joseph Estrada, when Joseph Estrada had Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and when Noynoy Aquino had Jejemon Binay. It made me think that the conflict of interest was REALLY there but not as apparent as today. The reason is Leni Loud herself as a vice president isn't working in tandem with Duterte. Why should she? She's even from the OPPOSITION and a vice president coming from the opposition isn't really helpful. I mean, can you imagine if Leni Loud became president and her worst opponent Bobong Marcos became the vice president this 2022? I can't imagine how it might happen that Bobong may want to steal Leni Loud's position or that Leni Loud will frequently demonize Bobong. How is that even check and balance? If Leni Loud can't even get along with Duterte then can she get along with ANY vice president she may have from ANOTHER party? I mean, what if Sarah Duterte became Leni Loud's vice president? Maybe the only real non-LP member she will get alongside with is Antonio Trillanes IV. Chances are if Leni Loud becomes president - she might get either Bobong or Sarah as her vice president.

Sure, one can argue that we can amend the 1987 Constitution by block voting president and vice president like in the USA. For example, you voted for Barack Obama then you vote whoever is Obamas' vice president. The situation can be applied in the Philippines that is if you voted for Duterte then you also voted for Alan Peter S. Cayetano or you voted for Mar Roxas then you voted for Leni Loud. However, I'd dare say that it's only a BAND-AID SOLUTION and the bigger problem with the presidential system is you vote by PERSONS, not by PLATFORMS. I don't care if people end up voting straight for the Liberal Party by just one check as long as they can vote for other parties byjust one check. How can this be solved?

The parliamentary system votes by PARTIES not by personalities. That means Otso Diretso campaign becomes redundant when all eight of them are voted ALONGSIDE all their party members. If we had a parliamentary election last 2016 then imagine if we had Duterte as the Prime Minister and Roxas as the Opposition Leader. Cayetano would have to work alongside Duterte and Leni Loud will work alongside Roxas. It's more harmonious when you think Duterte's deputy is from PDP-Laban and Leni Loud works as Mar's deputy leader. The harmony there is even greater because it's teamwork vs. teamwork. Mar and Leni will show that they have the capacity to lead the nation while they are still in the Opposition. They have to show the Government that their ideals are worth listening to. 

The recent example of the Duterte and Leni Loud fiasco should really tell us SOMETHING is wrong with the checks and balances of the presidential. Until now, the Opposition has NO REAL FORMAL leader because it's a presidential system. Leni Loud should stay where she is and have a position AMONG the Opposition and not in the Government. Angat Buhay should serve as the Opposition's answer to whatever the Government's relief program will be. Both the Government and Opposition will have to present their platforms in healthy competition. Leni Loud will only get to be in the Government if the Liberal Party wins the Government seats again. Hopefully, the current opposition will really stop opposing Constitutional Reform and support a parliamentary system.