MANILA, Philippines – The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo is confused why administration officials are hesitating to provide them a list of the drug war’s high-value targets (HVT), when President Rodrigo Duterte himself has dropped names before — on national television.
Lawyer and spokesperson Barry Gutierrez on Monday highlighted Duterte’s drug matrix — which includes some officials from local government units (LGUs) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
READ: Duterte: Matrix to show De Lima link to Bilibid drug
“Hindi namin maintindihan what the big deal is with respect to high-value targets, the President himself has on several occasions named ‘yong mga taong sinasabi niyang involved sa drug trade, including, at one point, mga public officials miyembro ng PNP, ng LGUs,” Gutierrez said.
“So hindi ko maintindihan kung saan nanggagaling itong hesitation na ito; she is after all tasked with leading government anti-drug efforts,” he added.
(We cannot understand what the big deal is with respect to high-value targets, the President himself has on several occasions named the people supposedly involved in the drug trade, including at one point, public officials from LGUs and the PNP. So I cannot understand where this hesitation is coming from, when she is after all tasked with leading government anti-drug efforts.)
READ: Duterte apologizes for lapses in drug matrix
Gutierrez was referring to the hesitation of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Dir. Gen. Aaron Aquino — Robredo’s co-chair in the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) — to give the latter a copy of the HVT data.
Aquino questioned why Robredo needs a copy of the list, while Interior Undersecretary Ricojudge Echiverri asked the Vice President not to compromise them if in case she gets her hands on confidential data.
This prompted Duterte to warn Robredo that she will be fired if she leaks sensitive information that may involve national security.
Robredo downplayed these fears, saying that she knows the difference between transparency and confidential information. She also insisted however that knowing the HVTs is necessary for her to carry out her mandate as ICAD co-chair.
Gutierrez meanwhile urged the officials to settle the issue personally with Robredo — whom they have met for several times now since she accepted the ICAD designation last November 6.
“Hindi ko actually naiintindihan kung saan nanggagaling lahat ng ito, in fact ‘yong mas nakaka-gulat para sa akin, they keep reminding the VP, please don’t disclose this information publicly but the manner na kino-communicate nila ‘yon, hindi nila sinasabi directly sa kanya,” Gutierrez said.
“Lahat ng kanilang pakawala sa media eh. Si (PNP officer-in-charge) General Gamboa sa media nagsalita, si Usec. Echiverri, si DG Aquino. Ang punto ko, nagmi-meeting naman kayo eh, ilang beses niyo na nakaharap si VP Leni? Kung meron kayong mga concerns bakit hindi niyo diretsuhin sa kanya?” he asked.
(I cannot understand where this is coming from. In fact what has been shocking is that they keep reminding the VP, please don’t disclose this information publicly but the manner they communicate it is not directly towards her. They always reveal information to the media. General Gamboa talked before the media, same with Usec. Echiverri and DG Aquino. My point is, you have been meeting each other, how many times have you seen VP Leni? If you have concerns why don’t you tell it to her directly?)
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