MANILA, Philippines — “I fired her in my mind. Noon pa. First day pa lang nung sabi niya punta siya sa U.S. Embassy.”
President Rodrigo Duterte said this Friday night, days after he fired Vice President Leni Robredo as co-chairperson of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).
In an interview with CNN Philippines on Friday night, Duterte said that he was closely monitoring Robredo in her first few days as anti-drug czar.
“You (Robredo) should have convened what, all the barangay captains, all the mayors, then all the guys connected with the rehabilitation now going on the rural urban level,” Duterte said.
“Then you have to take the stock of how many are getting better, how many are still in the limbo. Ganun dapat ang ginawa mo,” he added.
Duterte said Robredo was “making an asshole of herself”, adding that the Vice President was also grandstanding.
“You keep on taunting me, ‘I will continue, I will fight even if they put so many roadblocks so I cannot succeed.’ Kung magsalita ka nang ganun ng andiyan ka tapos yan pala ang tingin mo sa akin, eh loko-loko ka pala eh,” he continued.
Asked if he will find a replacement for Robredo, Duterte said: “Nadala na ako. Hindi na ako mag anti-drug czar.”
Soon after accepting Duterte’s appointment of her as ICAD co-chair on November 6, Robredo had met with US officials as well as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Robredo was fired merely 18 days in her post as co-chairperson of ICAD.