Will Duterte apologize to Robredo? President said ‘nothing wrong,’ says Palace

MANILA, Philippines — Despite his recent tirades, President Rodrigo Duterte will not apologize to Vice President Leni Robredo as he did not say anything wrong, Malacañang said Thursday.

“Well, wala pong maling sinabi ang Presidente,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing.

Roque was asked if the President will follow Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo in apologizing to Robredo for their false claims on the use of government aircraft.

It was Lorenzana whom Panelo cited as the source of information that Robredo supposedly boarded a Philippine Air Force C-130 plane for relief efforts.

Robredo recently visited provinces in the Bicol region after the onslaught of recent typhoons Rolly and Ulysses.

“Unang-una, hindi naman sinabi ni Presidente sumakay siya ng C-130 e. Humihingi na ng abiso iyong mga nagsabi noon – si Secretary Lorenzana at saka si Secretary Panelo,” Roque said.

(First of all, it was not the President who said Robredo rode the C-130. Those who said that already apologized — Sec. Lorenzana and Sec. Panelo.)

“Dapat silang humingi kung sila’y nagkamali dahil sila ang nagkamali pero hindi po ang Presidente. Bakit naman hihingi ng abiso ang Presidente na wala siyang pagkakamali?” he added.

(They should apologize if they were wrong, but not the President. Why will the President apologize if he did nothing wrong?)

Meanwhile, the Palace official lauded Lorenzana and Panelo for being “true gentlemen” over their apology to the Vice President.

“They are true gentlemen because when they are wrong, they acknowledged they were wrong and asked for an apology,” Roque said.

/MUF