Villanueva rues the short, short stint of drug czar Leni Robredo

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo’s time as co-chair of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-illegal drugs was “too short” to see what difference she can bring to the administration’s campaign against narcotics, Senator Joel Villanueva said Monday.

“Nakakalungkot lang din na parang na-endo talaga si VP Leni dahil in a span of two weeks, hindi natin masyado nakita what she can actually bring to the table. But we just move on. It is what is is,” Villanueva said in an interview at the Senate.

(It’s saddening how VP Leni seemed to be subjected to “endo” [end of contract] because, in a span of two weeks, we were not able to see what she can actually bring to the table. But we just move on. It is what it is.)

President Rodrigo Duterte fired Robredo as a response to the opposition’s dare to remove the Vice President from her post due to a lack of trust.

Villanueva said he was anticipating the results from the Vice President’s new strategy in curbing the country’s drug problem.

“When she was appointed, we made mention about our excitement and interest na we thought it was going to be an exciting idea na ma-appoint si VP Leni because she has a different approach. Although the same goal pero a different approach,” he said.

(When she was appointed, we made mention about our excitement and interest that we thought it was going to be an exciting idea for VP Leni to be appointed because she has a different approach. Although there is the same goal, but there’s a different approach.)

Robredo had earlier vowed to stop the killings in the drug war when she accepted the appointment as co-chair of ICAD.

“I don’t think enough yung time. I would agree na too short yung two weeks but I would also agree na yung appointing authority can fire anyone,” Villanueva said.

(I don’t think the time was enough. I would agree that two weeks was too short but I would also agree that the appointing authority can fire anyone.)