PDEA chief thinks Robredo ‘will fail’ as drug czar

MANILA, Philippines — For the chief of the country’s anti-drug agency, Vice President Leni Robredo “will fail” should she take over and lead the administration’s drug war.

“Well personally, if you ask me, sa palagay ko (I think) she will fail,” Philippine Drug Enforcement Agencu (PDEA) chief Aaron Aquino said Monday during an interview with CNN Philippines’ The Source.

According to Aquino, Robredo lacks experience when it comes to addressing illegal drugs in the country.

“I’ve been in the Philippine National Police for 36 years, I’ve been in PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) for more than two years, it is only now that I became the director-general that I have known what the real problem is on illegal drugs,” he said.

“Sa 36 years sa serbisyo ko sa pulis… dito ko lang lahat nalaman… The Vice President doesn’t have that, wala siyang kaalaman sa iligal na droga,” he added.

(I’ve been in the police service for 36 years… I’ve only known everything now… The Vice President doesn’t have that. She has no knowledge of illegal drugs).

“Experience-wise, nasa more than 38 years ko nang naging trabaho itong ganito, the Vice President doesn’t have that experience,” he further said.

(Experience-wise, I’ve already been in this type of work for more than 38 years, the Vice President doesn’t have that experience).

But President Rodrigo Duterte, the PDEA chief then noted, does have extensive experience in addressing the illegal drug problem.

“During my time, when I was assigned in Davao for 22 long years, nagsimula na si Presidente, piskal pa lang siya marami siyang kaso na puro drugs,” Aquino said.

(During my time, when I was assigned in Davao for 22 long years, the President has already started, when he was still a fiscal he handled a lot of cases involving illegal drugs).

“He cleaned Davao City during that time at makikita mo ‘yung (and you will see his) experience niya on how to clean and to make (a) drug-cleared Davao,” he added.

Last week, Duterte said he would surrender his law enforcement powers, with particular focus on his administration’s drug war, to Robredo.

This developed after Robredo said the Duterte administration’s drug war “is not working” and should be reassessed.

READ: Palace renews Duterte’s ‘drug czar’ offer to Leni

Duterte then said he would give a Cabinet Secretary rank to Robredo should she accept his offer to become the administration’s drug czar.

Robredo, however, declined to comment on the President’s dare.

Aquino, nevertheless, said PDEA will give Robredo the same support as they did the President should she accept the drug czar offer.

“If she accepts the position, definitely, PDEA will give 101 percent support to our Vice President, kung ano mang binibigay naming support kay Presidente, ganun din. Makikipaguganayan kami lagi at gagawin namin ang lahat ng makakaya namin ,” he said.

(If she accepts the position, definitely, PDEA will give 101 percent support to our Vice President, whatever support we are giving to the President, we will also give to her. We will coordinate with her all the time and we will do everything we can).

Aquino then expressed hope that Robredo’s anti-drug programs would be aligned with the initiatives of PDEA and other law enforcement agencies.

“I just hope ‘yung programa ng ating Vice President will coincide or naka-align dun sa mga programa ng (in the programs of) PDEA and other law enforcement agencies,” he said. /kga