MANILA – Malacañang believes it is highly unlikely for President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo to have a good working relationship following recent controversies on typhoon response.
“Siguro hindi na po,” spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual press conference on Thursday. “Binigyan na ng dalawang pagkakataon ng Presidente si VP Leni. Talagang VP Leni listened to her advisers and decided to become opposition, if not, obstructionist.”
At the start of their term, President Duterte appointed Robredo as housing secretary only to be asked in December 2016 to “desist from attending all Cabinet meetings.”
In November 2019, Duterte fired Robredo after barely a month of being anti-drug czar, citing a false report that she supposedly invited a foreign human rights advocate to come and look into the country’s drug situation.
Roque added that President Duterte will not apologize to the vice president, and his tirade against the latter was not “unpresidential” but rather straightforward and consistent.
“Bakit hihingi ng abiso ang Presidente, hindi naman siya nagkamali?” Roque said. “Wala namang pagbabawal sa Presidente na ilabas ang kanyang saloobin. Consistent po ang behavior ng Presidente.”
“Alam niyo hindi naman plastic si Presidente at hindi naman niya ngayon lang ginawa ‘yan,” he added. “Is that unpresidential? I don’t think so because 91 percent of the people said they trust and believe the President is performing well in his duties.”
“My advice to VP Leni: Itigil muna ang politika sa panahon ng pandemya at ng sunod-sunod na aberya gaya ng mga bagyo. Si Presidente, ‘yan ang paninindigan,” Roque furthered./PN
