The public should respect the view of President Rodrigo Duterte that Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni’ Robredo is “incompetent” to lead the country, Malacañang said on Wednesday.
“Iyong assessment naman ni Presidente na incompetent si VP, hindi naman natin maaalis ‘yan dahil halos tatlumpung taon naman nanilbihan sa gobyerno ang ating Pangulo,” Roque said in an interview over state-run Radyo Pilipinas.
(We cannot dismiss the President’s assessment that the VP is incompetent because he served the government for 30 years.)
“Siguro naman mayroon siyang mga standards at mayroon siyang mga guidelines kung sino ang competent at hindi kompitente,” he added.
(Maybe he has standards and guidelines on who is competent and who is not.)
In an ambush interview on Tuesday in Clark, Pampanga, Duterte said Robredo said is “incompetent” and would never be ready to become President.
READ: Duterte: Robredo ‘incompetent,’ will never be ready to become President
“Respetuhin po natin ‘yan dahil ito po’y isang obserbasyon ng isang taong napakahaba ng paninilbihan sa ating gobyerno,” Roque said.
(Let us respect the observation of an official who has served the government for so long.)
Rejoining the Cabinet?
In another radio interview, Roque claimed that Robredo recently tried to rejoin Duterte’s Cabinet.
“Pero good luck po, at sana po ay malinaw na ang papel ni Leni Robredo dahil nitong kailan lamang po eh parang nag-a-apply muli siya sa Gabinete ni Presidente,” he said over radio dzRH.
(Good luck, I hope this will clear Len Robredo’s role because it appears that she recently applied again at the President’s Cabinet.)
“So, ngayon at least mayroon na siyang desisyon na sa oposisyon na siya at hindi na siya umaasa na makapasok muli dito sa Gabinete ng ating Pangulo,” he added.
(So now at least she has already decided that she belongs to the opposition and she won’t hope that she will ever join the President’s Cabinet again.) /ee
READ: Robredo willing to lead opposition vs Duterte admin; Palace unfazed