Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. File photo
Malacañang on Wednesday said the allegation of a former Naga City councilor that Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo’s brother-in-law was a protector of illegal drugs in the city must be investigated.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Luis Ortega alleged that Butch Robredo, brother of the late Interior secretary Jesse Robredo, was into illegal drugs.
“Well, ang sa atin po ay ito po ay isang development na dapat talagang imbestigahan pa ano,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a radio dzRH interview.
(Well, for us, this is a development that needs to be investigated.)
President Rodrigo Duterte said last week that Robredo’s hometown Naga City was a hotbed of shabu.
READ: Duterte rejects Robredo as successor, says Naga a ‘hotbed of shabu’
Roque said the exposé on Robredo’s brother-in-law reinforced the President’s claims.
“Unang-una, kasi nga po pinukol nila ang Presidente na wala raw katuturan iyong sinasabi ng Presidente, pero ito po ang isang kamag-anak ni VP Robredo na nagsasabi na may katotohanan ang sinasabi ng ating Presidente. At siyempre po ang sinasabi pa niya eh kamag-anak din ni VP diumano ang involved dito,” he said.
(First of all, they said that the President’s claims had no truth in them, but this is a relative of VP Robredo, which shows that there is truth to what the President says. And he’s saying Robredo’s relative is involved in this.)
“So kaya nga importante pong malaman natin ang katotohanan dito, dahil naninilbihan din sa bayan ang ating Bise Presidente at kung may mga ganitong pangyayari, eh dapat malaman natin anong mga hakbang na ginawa ni Bise Presidente, para mapatupad ang batas sa sarili niyang siyudad at sa sarili niyang mga kapamilya,” he added.
(So it’s important to find out the truth here, because the vice president is also serving the country; thus, we need to know the steps the vice president is taking to enforce the law in her city and in her own family.)
In an interview over radio SMNI, Barry Gutierrez, Robredo’s spokesperson, questioned the timing of the exposé.
“Kung kailan naging mas matapang ang posisyon ni Bise Presidente laban sa iba’t ibang mga nangyayari sa kasalukuyan sa atin bansa, biglang bigla lalabas itong mga ganitong klaseng akusasyon,” Gutierrez said.
(At the time when the vice president’s position against specific events happening in our country, out of nowhere, these kinds of accusations are surfacing.)
Gutierrez, however, said they were not surprised with the allegations.
“So hindi na po kami nagugulat na nangyaring ito. Ang pakiusap lang po ni VP: Kung siya talaga ang pinupuntirya, kung siya talaga ang pinupulitika, e sana huwag nang idamay iyong Naga,” he said.
(We aren’t surprised anymore that this is happening. The VP is just requesting that if they are taking a shot at her, if they are trying to politicize her, don’t drag Naga into it.)
The city council of Naga had earlier said it would file a Resolution of Indignation to condemn Duterte’s remarks that the city was a hotbed of “shabu.” /je
READ: Robredo, Naga City cry foul over ‘shabu hotbed’ tag