Duterte threatened by Robredo’s success as drug czar? Nonsense, Panelo says
MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Monday dismissed as “nonsense” speculations that President Rodrigo Duterte fired Vice President Leni Robredo as anti-drug body co-chair because he fears the opposition stalwart will succeed and gain headway in the 2022 presidential elections.
“That’s nonsense, if the President had that in mind then he would have not appointed her in the first place,” Duterte’s spokesman, Salvador Panelo said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.
“Remember…I was even saying, ‘effectively you are being a ladder to the presidency.’ That’s precisely I was asking her, ‘accept it! This is your chance to do it.’,” he added.
Duterte fired Robredo as co-chairperson of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) on Sunday night, exactly 18 days after she accepted the appointment.
Duterte had threatened to fire the Vice President if she discloses confidential information to foreign entities in connection with his administration’s brutal war on drugs.
He earlier also said that he cannot trust Robredo, whom he described as a “scatterbrain” with “kneejerk” responses, because she’s from the opposition.
The President appointed Robredo to the ICAD after the latter criticized the war on drugs.
