MANILA – Baffled Vice President Leni Robredo told President Rodrigo Duterte to tell her straight if he still wants her to oversee the government’s anti-drug campaign after saying that he doesn’t trust her.
“Dapat direchuhin na lang ako. Direcho naman akong kausap… Kung ayaw na niya, kung nagkamali sya sa pag-appoint sa akin at gusto niyang bawiin, sabihin lang niya. Kasi ako, madali akong kausap,” Robredo said in an interview on Wednesday.
“Naniniwala ako na marami tayong mako-contribute sa kampanya laban sa iligal na droga,” she added. “Parang binabalik samin yung pagdetermine…Kailangan siya yung magsabi ano ba yung mandatong binibigay sakin, ano ba ‘yung limits.”
“Wala naman akong plano na magsaklaw ng mandato ng iba. Dahil very general ‘yung appointment sakin, sinabi na co-chair ako ng ICAD (Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs), ginagawa ko kung ano yung expectation as co-chair,” she further said.
Robredo also declined a classified briefing from her ICAD co-chair, Director General Aaron Aquino of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency until the president clarified the scope of her authority.
“I refused kasi sabi ko hihintayin ko muna yung sagot ni Presidente sa aking clarification,” Robredo said. “‘Yung ayoko ‘yung ma-accuse ako na lumalampas ako sa aking mandato.”
President Duterte said a press conference on Tuesday night at Malacañang that he could not trust Robredo because she belongs to the political opposition and he does not know her.
The Chief Executive added that Robredo’s behavior and remarks following her appointment as anti-drug czar also didn’t inspire for her to be given a Cabinet post.
Duterte earlier warned to fire Robredo if she discloses sensitive information on the drug war to foreign individuals and entities./PN
