It's official that Vice President Leni Loud Robredo is running for president. Sara Duterte-Carpio isn't running for president but as vice president. It was once proposed that Duterte would run for vice president though it seems his relationship with PDP-Laban soured up. Sara is now part of LAKAS with Bobong Marcos as the president. Right now, some people are actually stuck with the Leni Loud vs. Bobong dichotomy. It doesn't mean that Bobong is wrong that Leni Loud is right or vice-versa. I don't see Leni Loud's public gatherings right now any less risky than Bobong's public gatherings.
It's a shame really that the whole DDS vs. Dilawan dichotomy (or Marcos in extension) has been so full of fallacies. One of the biggest stupidity that some of the Dilawan tend to assume is that all the DDS are Marcos supporters when some aren't. The DDS tend to dismiss any good that the Liberal Party such as the late Noynoy Aquino's economics - even President Rodrigo R. Duterte praised it to a certain extent. The list of the stupidity between Dutertards and Aquinotards can GO ON AND ON. I admit, I was a Dutertard, I was an Aquinotard, now I'm spitting out both sides. Now, some people still insist that the presidential system's president and vice president from different parties is better for check and balance than the parliamentary system. Right now, it's laughable how Leni Loud is being Duterte's deputy AND the "opposition leader" at the same time - a rather messed up proposal. Then, the proposal came of what might end up with Duterte and Leni Loud switching places this 2022.
If those who insist that the presidential system has better "check and balance" may now want to do another absurd stunt. Since Duterte isn't running as vice president but his daughter Sara - why not vote for Leni Loud as president and Sara as vice president? Since Bobong isn't running as vice president again then we can forget about having Leni Loud and Bobong as the tandem for 2022. Let's have Leni Loud as president and Sara as vice president for a "healthier" democracy? True, Duterte once helped the campaign of Noynoy and Mar Roxas in Davao. Sara was seen eating with Leni Loud in a canteen in Davao last 2016. However, it seems that those moments start to fade in the midst of politics.
I would laugh at how the presidential system is nothing more than a game of mahjong. I still think about the Commission On Audit (COA) and how Michael Aguinaldo is an obvious Liberal Party stalwart. The late Chito Gascon served as the head of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) until his death this year. The problem of appointees from previous administrations and this administration is a mess. Obviously, Duterte's appointees will favor this regime, and Noynoy's appointees will favor the previous regime. It's almost as if Duterte and Noynoy were playing mahjong over the weekend for some time to agree on who gets to appoint who.
Meanwhile, the parliamentary system has a more defined fixed government and opposition. A minister's term ends when the parliament is dissolved. A minister may get another term as a minister or as a shadow minister. For example, the last term was under Prime Minister Benigno Simeon C. Aquino who becomes Opposition Leader Benigno Simeon C. Aquino. Minister of Audit Michael Aguinaldo becomes Shadow Minister of Audit Michael Aguinaldo in the next term. The shadow minister of audit is the one who scrutinizes the government's spending. The actual minister of audit presents the government's spendings to the shadow minister of audit. Let's just say that Noynoy didn't become the opposition leader but Richard Gordon. Gordon will have his own set of appointees to scrutinize Duterte's appointees. Gordon will have his own shadow minister of health (Willie Ong) to scrutinize the performance of Minister of Health Francisco Duque every week.
That would mean that if Leni Loud were prime minister - it would be better for Sara to be the opposition leader. If Sara were the prime minister - it would be better for Leni Loud to be the opposition leader. The best way for Leni Loud and Sara to get the best out of each other is through healthy competition. I'm not saying Leni Loud doesn't have good ideas. The problem is a lack of scrutiny has made Leni Loud an utak lugaw. It's because the presidential system is a massive brain drain that even the best minds (such as Bum Aquino and Mar) are usually destined to get down the drain. Both Leni Loud and Sara are best assigned to government and opposition than to be in a no direction type of tandem.