MANILA, Philippines — Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo described as “pure nonsense” the comment of Vice President Leni Robredo’s camp saying he has no sympathy after he hit slammed the opposition leader’s move to delay the release of her drug war report.
Barry Gutierrez, Robredo’s spokesman, said Panelo was “obviously taunting” after he questioned the Vice President’s decision to defer her drug war report following the quake in Mindanao.
READ: ‘Walang malasakit’: Panelo hit for ‘taunting’ Robredo on drug war report
“The remarks coming from VP Leni’s camp that I have no empathy (“walang malasakit”) as a reaction to my comment with regard to VP Leni’s non-release of a drug war report are pure nonsense,” Panelo said in a statement.
“Moreover, the release of her report/recommendation, previously described by her as “discoveries,” insinuating that these were irregularities that she threatened to expose has nothing to do with focusing efforts to help the earthquake victims and the rehabilitation work on the resulting damage. Both can co-exist,” he added.
Panelo slammed Robredo’s camp, saying, “the resort to the sympathy card is misplaced.”
He hit back at Robredo, saying she “was elsewhere when a typhoon-ravaged her hometown of Naga on Christmas day in 2016 but we didn’t accuse her of not sympathizing with her kababayans because it is non sequitur.”
Robredo, who had a short stint as co-chair of the administration’s Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs before she was fired by President Rodrigo Duterte, earlier said she would release her own drug war report.
The Vice President originally deferred releasing her drug war report because of the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
“People, including those in the government, were, therefore, expecting to hear something significant from her, if any, in her press briefing which was scheduled on December 16,” Panelo said.
He said the “administration, through the various agencies of the government, provides reports to the people regularly.”
“It is not as if when the Vice President speaks, the world will stop and the government will halt its operations to provide assistance in Davao,” he added.
“As described by some notable columnists,” Panelo echoed, “she has become irrelevant at this time due to her not well thought of political statements.”
“Her decision to call a press briefing to announce that there is no press briefing while flashing her 40-page report reveals that she only wants the spotlight,” he said.
“She has deferred her report a number of times, looking for a perfect timing and hoping that people would pay attention to her as she struggles to be relevant, while the government is silently doing its job in addressing the issues our nation faces, such as providing assistance to those who were affected by the recent earthquake,” he added.
“We reiterate that the government’s campaign against illicit drugs is of utmost importance. People’s lives are at risk. The welfare of the next generation is at stake.”
Panelo dared Robredo to release the report now.
“This is not the time to vacillate. If she has “discoveries” that she threatened to expose, bring it on!, as the President dares her to do,” he said.