Palace confirms ‘desist’ order for Robredo but clarifies some issues

Update

Malacanang on Sunday confirmed that President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo to “desist” from attending all Cabinet meetings starting Monday.

But the Palace was quick to clarify that the order “has nothing to do with Bongbong Marcos” or a supposed plot to steal the Vice Presidency from Robredo.

Cabinet Secretary Leoncio “Jun” Evasco said he relayed the message to Robredo through a text message.

“I called her at first but there was no response. And then I text[ed] her with a message for her to desist from attending Cabinet meetings starting tomorrow, December 5, 2 o’ clock in the afternoon,” Evasco said in an interview over dzMM radio.

Evasco said it was the order of the President.

“That’s the President’s order and the reason is – there is… there are irreconcilable differences between VP Robredo and the administration headed by Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” he said.

But the Palace official could not specify the “irreconcilable differences” between Duterte and Robredo.

“I cannot say more. The President just said ‘irreconcilable differences’ besides the public may already have an idea what these differences are,” he said.

Evasco said the order for Robredo not to attend the Cabinet meeting has nothing to do with losing vice presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos.

Marcos lost to Robredo during the May elections. Duterte is known to be a close friend of Marcos.

Evasco clarified that there was no instruction for Robredo to be terminated from her position as chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), adding that “whatever decisions she will take in the future that is her prerogative.”

But Robredo on Sunday said she would resign from her post on Monday.

“If that is the case then we will be constrained to look for somebody who will handle HUDCC in her place,” Evasco said. “If they cannot just [jibe] with what the President is doing and cannot support what the president is doing, then they have to resign.”

Asked whether if Robredo could become the “primary figure of the opposition,” he said:

“Definitely she would be figuring a very important position in the administration being the Vice President, being the highest LP official of the opposition.”

He said the Palace would issue an official statement “in due time.”

Meanwhile, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said that “considering the situation, I think she (Robredo) is fired.”

Palace waiting for resignation letter

In a statement, Communications, Secretary Martin Andanar said the Palace has yet to receive Robredo’s resignation letter.

He said Robredo, as “a member of the Cabinet enjoys the full trust and confidence of the President for he or she acts as the President’s alter ego.”

“Having said this, the President entrusted the Vice President, whom we all know came from a rival political party, a position in his official family in deference to the wishes of our people who want both leaders to work together and succeed,” he said.

“As a Cabinet member, the Vice President is expected to be a team player where differences in policies and issues are discussed during Cabinet meetings. The President in turn respects any decision agreed upon by his Cabinet,” he added.

Andanar, however, said latest developments have exposed policy disputes between Duterte and Robredo.

“Recent events, however, showed the differences between the President and the Vice President as becoming irreconcilable and public,” he said.

“The Vice President has served our people for many years in various capacities and we wish her to continue this unhampered service to the nation to the best of her abilities,” he added.  With a report from Marc Jayson Cayabyab