MANILA, Philippines — Long-time presidential aide-turned-lawmaker, Senator Bong Go, has challenged Vice President Leni Robredo to accept the new designation given to her by President Rodrigo Duterte as co-chair of a committee leading the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.
“I challenge the Vice President to accept the job… at least malalaman mo po ano ‘yung trabaho ng isang pangulo at gaano kalaki ang problema natin sa iligal na droga, tignan natin kung makakatulog ka pa,” Go said in an interview with dzMM on Tuesday.
(I challenge the Vice President to accept the job… at least you will know the work of the President and how massive the country’s drug problem is. Let’s see if you can still sleep).
“Subukan mo, subukan mo lang. Ma’am Leni, hinahamon po kita, I challenge you to accept… patayin mo lahat ‘yung mga drug lord na ‘yan,” he added.
(Try it, just try it. Ma’am Leni, I’m challenging you. I challenge you to accept… kill all the drug lords).
In a memorandum dated October 31, 2019, Duterte informed Robredo that he has designated her as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) “to lead the government’s efforts against illegal drugs until 30 June 2022, unless sooner revoked.”
READ: Duterte appoints Robredo co-chair of gov’t committee vs illegal drugs
“Malay mo, meron siyang sariling solusyon dito and we want her to succeed. Basta nasa likod niyo kami, unahin niyo lang po ang interes ng Pilipino at saka (ang) kapakanan ng karamihan,” Go went on.
(Who knows, she has her own solution and we want her to succeed. We’re just behind her. Just prioritize the interest of the Filipino people).
“Maaaring pagtapos ng termino ni Vice President Leni as anti-drug czar, let’s assess po kung naging succesful naman siya at nasugpo niya ‘yung droga, let’s congratulate her po. Kung hindi naman po, malulungkot tayo dahil inumpisahan na po ito ni Pangulong Duterte, ‘yung kampanya laban sa iligal na droga,” he added.
(Possibly when Vice President Leni’s term as anti-drug czar ends, let’s assess if she had been successful and if she has solved the drug problem, let’s congratulate her. But if not, we will be saddened because President Duterte has already started the government’s campaign against illegal drugs).
The President had earlier said he would surrender his law enforcement power to Robredo and let her take over and lead the administration’s drug war.
This came after the Vice President criticized Duterte’s brutal war on drugs, saying it is “obviously not working”, and urged the administration to reassess it.
Robredo has yet to issue a statement regarding her new designation, as of writing. /kga