MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has fired Vice President Leni Robredo from her post as co-chair of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea confirmed this to reporters on Sunday evening, but no reason was given for the termination.
Robredo was reached out for comment but no to avail. She was able to serve as an ICAD co-chair for only two weeks.
Robredo’s appointment came after a day after Duterte designated her co-chair of the anti-drugs body along with Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Aaron Aquino on Nov. 6.
Robredo had earlier criticized the administration’s bloody anti-drugs campaign, saying that it is not working since the number of drug users and traffickers are still rising despite the bloody campaign on drugs.
Duterte has been critical of Robredo in the days since he appointed her to the position, saying that he does not trust her and keeping the list of high-value drug targets from her.
The Chief Executive even warned to fire the opposition stalwart if she discloses confidential information to foreign entities in connection with his brutal war on drugs.
Earlier on Sunday, Duterte apologized to Robredo for believing a “fake news” that she had invited a UN prosecutor to look into his administration’s war on drugs.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan, leader of Robredo’s Liberal Party, said, “The appointment and the eventual firing of VP Leni as anti-drug co-chair prove what we have been saying all along: Both the war on drugs and the appointment of the vice president as ICAD co-chair are bluff and bluster.”
Here’s the rest of Pangilinan’s statement:
“Their scheme to make VP Leni look weak backfired. Just two weeks after her appointment, she has shown courage and competence in facing the problem at hand and redirected the anti-drug war track from a criminal justice issue to a public health problem.
“Marami ang natuwa at humanga sa pagtanggap ni VP Leni ng nasabing alok. Sumabog sa mukha nila ang kanilang tangkang pahiyain si VP Leni.
“Sa maikling panahon, pinakita ni VP Leni na hindi solusyon ang araw-araw na patayan ng mga mahihirap na drug user habang pinapakawalan at pino-promote ang malalaking drug lord, ninja cops, at mga protektor nila.
“Pinatunayan din nitong pagtanggal kay VP Leni na wala silang isang salita. Sa katunayan, yung palpak na war on drugs ginawa nilang war on VP.
“Malacañang did not just blink. Parang silang napuwing nang todo-todo. Umatras. Dahil sa takot at pangamba na lalo pang lumawak ang suporta kay VP Leni bunga ng mas maayos at higit na epektibong kampanya laban sa iligal na droga, agad-agad nilang tinanggal siya sa ICAD.”
On Malacañang’s explanation “that the termination of VP Robredo was in response to the Liberal Party suggestion to just fire the Vice President and in response to the taunt and dare of VP Robredo for the President to just tell her that he wants her out, Pangilinan said, “Naghahanap ng sisisihin sa mga palpak at magulo nilang kilos. A desperate attempt at blaming others for the mess they themselves created.”/PN
