FREE COUNTRY Militant groups rally in Naga City during the State of the Nation Address of President Duterte. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday insisted that Naga City, the hometown of Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo, is a “hotbed of ‘shabu.’”
“I stand by my word that Naga [is] the hotbed of [shabu],” the President said at a speech during the 49th Mandaue City Charter Day.
“It’s because the brother-in- law [of Robredo] is the one who brings drugs to Bicol,” Mr. Duterte said.
“That’s true,” he added. “Of course, they would deny,” the President said.
Robredo, reacting to the President, said Mr. Duterte should devote time to the country’s other pressing problems, too, and not focus solely on drugs.
Drug smuggling
She said if Mr. Duterte wanted to devote all his time to his campaign against drugs, he should first zero in on the P6.8-billion worth of shabu (crystal meth) that slipped past the Bureau of Customs in magnetic lifters that were discovered by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Robredo said Mr. Duterte should stop repeating his “recycled rants” against Naga City being a hotbed of shabu.
“Perhaps instead of constantly repeating this ridiculous allegation and throwing mud at the name of a city that thrives on good governance and staunchly supports the call to fight illegal drugs, he can turn his attention on the P6.8-billion shabu shipment that slipped past his customs officials,” Robredo said.
Blaming a blind man
Robredo said it was “ridiculous” for the President to accuse “a blind man” of involvement in drugs, referring to her brother-in-law.
“Despite these many problems, the drug war clearly remains highest on the President’s agenda, so much so that he is now pinning blame on a blind man,” she said.
The President should have realized by now that he needed to address the more serious problem of rising prices of basic commodities, the Vice President said.
“The allegations made by the President are recycled rants conveniently used to deflect attention from the failures of this administration,” Robredo said.
“And while he may be intending to flatter me by keeping me at the top of his mind these days when he stands behind the seal of his office, I’d still prefer that he focus on the many important matters that he needs to address,” she said.
“Rising prices continue to make life difficult for our fellow Filipinos, especially for those in need,” she said.
Mr. Duterte branded a PDEA report on the discovery of shabu in the magnetic lifters as “pure speculation.” —WITH A REPORT FROM MELVIN GASCON