MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang believes Vice President Leni Robredo is “bright enough” to lead the government’s crackdown against illegal drugs, contradicting the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino’s assessment that she lacks the experience to curb one of the country’s perennial problems.
“I think so,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in an interview over CNN Philippines when asked if he thinks Robredo is capable of leading the drug war.
“I think Director Aquino is just expressing his mind and basing on his own experience. But the Vice President is bright enough. She’s a lawyer… she can do it if she so desires,” he added.
Aquino, who heads the agency at the forefront of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, earlier said Robredo “will fail” to manage the campaign without the necessary experience.
Panelo announced Tuesday that Duterte has already signed Robredo’s appointment paper as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).
READ: BREAKING: Duterte appoints Robredo co-chair of gov’t committee vs illegal drugs
READ: PDEA chief thinks Robredo ‘will fail’ as drug czar
The Vice President’s new role is for her to “lead the Government’s efforts against illegal drugs until 30 June 2022, unless sooner revoked,” reads the memorandum from Malacañang.
This came after Duterte vowed to name Robredo as his drug czar after the latter criticized his brutal war on drugs.
READ: Duterte to ‘surrender’ power to Robredo to enforce law for six months
Robredo has yet to respond to Malacañang’s offer as of posting time. But if she decides to decline the post, Panelo said: “It means that all her criticisms have no basis at all.”
“Kasi if you’re saying that the drug war is ineffective, you must have something in mind to make it effective and if you’re given the opportunity to show your mettle and you don’t grab it, what does it mean?” he added.
The Palace official likewise said Robredo is “welcome” to join the next Cabinet meeting on Thursday in Malacañang if the Vice President accepts the post. /kga