The role of Vice President in the Philippines seems to come with its own set of peculiar duties, depending on who’s sitting in the chair. But one thing is certain: the main function of the VP is to wait for something to happen to the president.

Not in the case of the current and immediate past VP.

When Leni Robredo held the position, she was perpetually waiting for the next bus—perhaps because the presidential convoy never stopped for her. Her days were spent navigating the country, hopping on and off public transport like a commuter on an endless pilgrimage. The waiting was almost poetic, like an allegory for her term: always present, but never really going anywhere with the big boys.

Enter Sara Duterte, the current Vice President, who seems to have traded bus stops for wakes. Her calendar is a morbid collection of eulogies and condolences, as she attends one funeral after another. But whether she’s mourning the deceased or just the slow death of political aspirations is anyone’s guess. The only certainty is that, in her case, waiting has become an art form—if not a full-time job.