Vice President Leni Robredo was appointed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte as Chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) with Cabinet rank on Thursday.

The President made the announcement while talking on the phone with the VP in answer to queries by media as to whether she would be appointed as a member of the Cabinet.

Duterte said “pwede ka Housing, Ma’am? Can you be the Housing Secretary? Tanggapin mo Ma’am? (do you accept ma’am?)” PRRD asked Robredo.

Still talking on the phone, the President said “sige, Ma’am, so that will be in time for the next Cabinet meeting and even on security matters para you’d be kept abreast of what is happening to our country. Just for you to know.”

PRRD added that Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea will hand the appointment as HUDCC Chair to her personally.

In another press conference on Tuesday evening, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre briefed members of the media about the earlier press briefing of the President where he said the appointment could have been because the past two meetings between the two highest officials of the land were amiable and was decided upon after some sort of warming up between the two.

Aguirre also said, “we feel that because of the passage of time, there must be some reconsideration of the decision and so here we are. I think this is very good for the country.”

He added that the President and the Vice President are happy with the decision, saying “we could feel that many among the present Cabinet members are also happy with the fact that at last, the Vice President was no longer an officer without any Cabinet position but she is now a full-fledged Cabinet member.”

The HUDCC Chair was the same position held by former vice presidents Jejomar Binay and Noli De Castro. (PND)