Robredo to Duterte: Prioritize solving economic woes

Vice President Leni Robredo on Wednesday lamented that President Rodrigo Duterte’s public address was a “lost opportunity.” She said the President should have proposed “concrete” solutions to pressing issues such as the rising  inflation and the rice supply woes.

“Kahapon noong humarap iyong ating Pangulo, iyong inaasahan sana natin pagharap na pagtanggap na may problema, pagsasabi na ganito iyong gagawin. Kapag hindi kasi nagpapakita ng kontrol iyong pamahalaan, iyong pagkabahala ng tao na lalong hihirap iyong buhay, talagang lalo pang tinutulak tayo sa mas matinding kahirapan,” Robredo said in a statement on Wednesday.

(When the President faced the nation, we expected him to admit that we have problems and suggest solutions. If the government doesn’t show that it has control over these issues, we feel that hard times are indeed upon us and that we are being pushed even deeper into poverty.)

“Nasasayangan tayo sa pagkakataon. Napakalaking pagkakataon iyon para i-address iyong pagkabahala ng taumbayan tungkol sa kahirapan na pinagdadaanan natin ngayon sa ating ekonomiya,” she added.

(We regret the missed opportunity. It could have been a great chance to address the people’s concerns about the difficulties we are facing today in our economy)

Robredo noted that the dispute between Duterte and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV must be set aside because there are more problems in the economy.

“Hindi nakakatulong na mas pinagtutuunan ng pansin iyong away nila ni Senator Trillanes. Iyong mga panahon ng kagipitan, hindi ito panahon na pinagtutuunan ng pansin iyong politika. Panahon ito para asikasuhin iyong problema natin sa ekonomiya,” she added.

(Focusing on his dispute with Senator Trillanes is not helping us. The times are hard and this is not time the to focus on politics. This is the time to prioritize solving our economic problems)

Duterte had a live tête-à-tête with Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo in Malacañang on Tuesday,   a discussion which mentioned Trillanes’ name over 100 times. /ee

READ: Is Duterte getting obsessed with Trillanes? The senator thinks so