Robredo: PDEA chief Aquino asked me to stay as ICAD co-chair

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday claimed that two days before she was sacked as co-chair of the Interagency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino urged her to stay in her post.

“Ma’am, huwag mo kaming iiwan. Huwag mo kaming iiwan kasi maraming nangyayari noong nandiyan ka na,” Robredo recalled what Aquino told her during her radio program “Biserbisyong Leni” on RMN-DZXL.

(Ma’am, please don’t leave us. Many things already happened when you were already here.)

According to Robredo, this happened during a closed-door meeting, and that her staff also heard Aquino’s plea.

“Kasi ako, iyong sa akin, mahirap pasundin iyong mga ahensya kasi Usec lang ako,” Robredo further recalled what Aquino told her.

(Because for me, it’s hard to command the agencies because I’m only an undersecretary.)

Upon hearing this, Robredo remembered telling Aquino: “Hindi ko kayo iiwan, Usec, puwera na lang kung tanggalin ako. Hindi ako magre-resign, iyon iyong ma-a-assure ko sa iyo, puwera na lang kung tanggalin ako.”

(I will not leave you, Undersecretary, unless they will remove me. I will not resign, that is what I assure you, unless I will be fired.)

Aaron previously said that he had a hard time working with Robredo as during her brief stint as anti-drug czar.

READ: PDEA’s Aquino admits he felt ‘uncomfortable’ with Robredo as ICAD co-chair

During the radio show, Robredo also said that she was disappointed with Aquino.

“Inaasahan mo kapag PMA-er, officer and gentleman. Pero ilang beses nang ang sinasabi sa harap ko, iba ang sinasabi sa media (I was expecting that from a PMA graduate, he would be an officer and a gentleman. But I have witnessed several times that what he told me personally, he would tell it differently to the media.)” she said.

“Halimbawa, iyong sinasabi niya na walang significant na tulong, parang preferred niya yata na siya lang (For example, when he said that I was not of significant help, it appeared that he preferred that he did it alone),” Robredo added.

Edited by JE