Police academy disinvites Robredo

Vice President Leni Robredo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

SAN PEDRO CITY—Breaking tradition, the Philippines’ premier police academy has decided not to invite Vice President Leni Robredo to its annual reunion this coming Saturday, apparently in an attempt not to anger President Duterte.

Robredo would instead be replaced by Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno as guest of honor at the 37th Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) homecoming.

“The sight of VP (Robredo) does not sit well with Digong (President Duterte),” an official with the PNPA Alumni Association told the Inquirer on Tuesday. “So those in the board of trustees, mostly in active service, decided [not to invite Robredo] just to stay safe.”

Robredo, the interim chair of the opposition Liberal Party, has openly criticized Mr. Duterte’s war on drugs and the burial of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Malacañang, last year, issued instructions barring Robredo from attending Cabinet meetings, which prompted the vice president to give up her Cabinet post as chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.