Vice President Leni Robredo. Photo from OVP
MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo has denied inviting prosecutors from foreign courts contrary to President Rodrigo Duterte’s claims, saying that these are merely fake news.
“Fake news ‘yon. ‘Pag sinabing nag-invite ako ng prosecutor, fake news ‘yon, at sana si Presidente hindi naniniwala sa fake news, kasi madali naman itong i-check,” she said in an ambush interview on Wednesday, a day after Duterte called for a press conference where he criticized the Vice President.
(That’s fake news. Claiming that I invited prosecutors, that’s fake news, and I hope the President doesn’t believe in fake news because this is very easy to check.)
Duterte said on Tuesday that he has lost trust on Robredo — whom he appointed as Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).
This was because Robredo talked to various human rights groups and international organizations — including a certain prosecutor that Duterte threatened to slap in front of her.
“She invited even ‘yung mga prosecutors ng Human Rights Commission which we rebuked. Bakit niya papuntahin dito ‘yung prosecutors and all, observers? She was grandstanding na eh. It was […] like a carnival after. She was talking right and left dito ganun,” Duterte said in his late night press conference.
(Why would she bring those prosecutors here, observers?)
“Pati ba naman ‘yang — ‘yang prosecutor and the tweet. Nakita ko ‘yung tweet eh. ‘I am… I am packed and ready to go and arrest Duterte.’ ‘Yan ang imbitahin mo? Ganun ang salita sa akin. P****** i**, Leni, sa harap mo sampalin ko ‘yan. Dalhin mo dito,” he added.
(Even that prosecutor, that prosecutor and the tweet. I saw the tweet: ‘I am… I am packed and ready to go and arrest Duterte.’ That’s the person you would invite, the one who is saying those things to me. Son of a b****, Leni, I will slap that prosecutor in front of you. Go and bring the person to me.)
The President mentioned “prosecutor,” although he seemed to be referring to Physicians for Human Rights investigating chief Phelim Kine, who said in a tweet that he is open to help solve the drug war with Robredo at the helm.
Kine also advocated for the arrest of Duterte over the bloody drug war. However, Robredo clarified that Kine was neither one of the officials she invited nor met with.
“Ang naka-meeting ko lang at na-invite ko lang for a meeting na international organization is the UN (United Nations) Office of Drugs and Crime, saka ‘yong different agencies of the US (United States) Embassy,” Robredo explained.
(The UN Office of Drugs and Crime is the only international organization I invited and met for a meeting, and also the different agencies of the US Embassy.)
“‘Yon lang ‘yong aking kausap, wala akong UN prosecutor na kakilala, wala akong sinulatan, wala akong inimbita. Kaya kung may naka-rating sa kanya na may iniimbita ako, fake news ‘yon,” she added.
(That’s the only one I talked to, no UN prosecutor I am acquainted with nor I written to, I did not invite anyone. So when information reached him that I invited someone, that’s fake news.)
Robredo’s supposed inability to stay silent and her habit of talking to foreign organizations supposedly forfeited her chance to work within the administration’s cabinet, Duterte said.
However, the Vice Presdient noted that the organizations she has talked with have been communicating with the Philippine government — before she even was designated as ICAD co-chair.
“Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit hindi kinakatuwa ‘yong ating pakikipag-usap dahil bago pa man ako naitalaga na co-chair, ‘yong UNODC saka ‘yong mga different agencies ng US Embassy nakikipag-partner na sa iba’t ibang ahensya ng ating pamahalaan,” Robredo said.
(I don’t know the reason why they are not happy with me talking to anyone because from the beginning even before I was appointed co-chair, the UNODC and other agencies in the US Embassy were already partnering with our various agencies.)
“In fact ‘yong mga meeting namin were just briefing kung ano ‘yong kanilang tinutulong sa ating pamahalaan [In fact the meeting we held were just briefing on what help is needed],” she stressed.