Maintaining that she has a “very good” working relationship President Rodrigo Duterte, Vice President Leni Robredo denied anew the claims of some Duterte allies that she and the Liberal Party are cooking up moves to regain control of the Malacañang.
At a press briefing at the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Office in Makati on Friday, Robredo said she hopes the accusations Senator Alan Peter Cayetano made during the Senate inquiry on extrajudicial killings on Thursday would not ruin her smooth working relationship with the President.
During his turn to question confessed hitman Edgar Matobato from Davao City, Cayetano raised the alleged “Plan B” of the former ruling party to oust Duterte where Robredo would stand to benefit.
READ: Cayetano says Plan B of LP to remove Duterte under way
“Tingin ko very unfair ‘yon, kasi ang pagkasabi parang ino-operate na matanggal ang ating pangulo para ako ‘yong pumalit. Kami ni Pangulong Duterte very good ang aming working relationship,” Robredo said.
“Sana hindi naman masira ‘yong ganoon. Iyong mga pangangailangan ng assignment ko, nandiyan iyon whole heart and support ng ating Pangulo,” she added.
(I think that’s very unfair, to say that we are operating to oust our President so I could take his place. President Duterte and I have a good working relationship.
(Hopefully, that won’t be hurt [by this]. The needs of my assignment, they have the President’s whole heart and support.)
READ: Leni takes offense at Cayetano claim of LP plot to unseat Duterte
In one of the Cabinet meetings she attended with the President, Robredo said she thanked Duterte for never taking their differing opinions against her.
“Every chance na I could get, sinasabi ko sa kanya na makakaasa siya sa aking suporta. Sinasabi ko kung may gusto siya sa aking ipagawa, huwag mag-aatubiling sabihan lang ako,” she said.
“In fact ,in one of the Cabinet meetings, sinabi ko na nagpapasalamat ako sa kanya na kahit na may differences in opinion kami, mayroon siyang mga desisyon na hindi ako sang-ayon, pero he never took it against me,” Robredo said.
(Every chance I could get, I tell him that he can count on my support. I tell him that if there’s anything that he would want me to do, he shouldn’t hesitate to let me know.
(In fact, in one of our Cabinet meetings, I thanked him because he never took our differences in opinion against me.)
The Vice President added that it is the public’s obligation to support the President and his administration’s efforts for reform.
But she clarified that supporting does not mean she would always agree with Duterte’s decisions.
“By support, hindi naman nangangahulugan na lahat naman ng desisyon niya nagsa-sang-ayon tayo, pero kung may differences man ang ating paniniwala sa Pangulo, hindi iyon dahilan para hindi natin siya suportahan. Kasi iyon nga, ang success ng Duterte administration, success iyon para sa ating bansa,” she said.
(By support, it doesn’t mean we will agree with all of his decisions, but if there are differences between our beliefs and those of the President, that is no reason for us to not to support him. It is because the success of the Duterte administration is the success of our county.) CDG/rga