MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo overwhelmingly topped a survey conducted by Assistant Communications Secretary Mocha Uson on social media platform Twitter on a possible replacement for Judy Taguiwalo, who the Commission on Appointments rejected as Social Welfare secretary.
But presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said it was unlikely President Rodrigo Duterte would base his choice on Uson’s poll.
Uson asked Twitter users who they preferred to replace Taguiwalo from among Robredo, Social Welfare Assistant Secretary Lorraine Badoy, former congresswoman Nikki-Prieto Teodoro, and “others.”
A screen capture as of 11:35 a.m. showed Robredo with 81 percent of the votes, with Badoy taking only 6 percent and Teodoro with 2 percent. “Others” took 11 percent.
Asked to comment on the results, Abella said: “I’m sure the President has other ways of measuring a candidate’s capability aside from surveys.”
Asked why Robredo was not a likely choice for the Social Welfare portfolio, he said, “For the plain and simple reason that, for example she has already resigned, you know, that particular job is a Cabinet level job.”
In July last year, Duterte named Robredo to head the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, a Cabinet-level post. However, he later instructed her to stop attending Cabinet meetings after which she resigned the position.
Abella said his reply did not mean he was against Robredo. “I’m just saying that it seems to be a difficult choice,” he said.
Many netizens reacting to the survey, meanwhile, mocked Uson, saying the poll results backfired on her alleged motive to “bash” Robredo.
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