Robredo, US delegation discuss cooperation on addressing PH drug problem

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo met with a U.S. government inter-agency working-level delegation on Wednesday to discuss potential partnerships and programs to address the problem of illegal drugs in the Philippines.

In a statement, the U.S. Embassy said the delegation comprised of officers from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, Drug Enforcement Agency, the Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development.

Robredo and the U.S. government officials discussed the current state of the counter-narcotics cooperation between the two countries as well as the ongoing and potential U.S. government-funded programs aimed to combat the illegal drug problem, the U.S. Embassy said.

Robredo earlier said she was open to working with the U.S. Embassy in Manila in dealing with the country’s drug problem.

READ: Robredo open to US Embassy offer of assistance in PH drug war 

On Monday, she met with representatives of the UNODC to discuss the “best practices” in addressing the illegal drug problem in the Philippines.

Aside from programs that can be implemented to fight illegal drugs, the meeting also delved into the experiences of the Philippines’ neighboring countries in the Southeast Asian region in dealing with the problem, according to Robredo’s chief of staff.

READ: Robredo meets with UN body to discuss campaign vs illegal drugs 

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier designated Robredo as the co-chairperson of Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) following her criticism of the administration’s bloody drug war.  /muf