Baffled Robredo vows to continue work in ICAD despite Duterte’s distrust

Vice President Leni Robredo meets officials of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) at the DDB-PDEA Building in Quezon City on Wednesday, November 20, 2019, as part of her bid to harmonize the efforts of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), where she was appointed co-chairperson by President Rodrigo Duterte. (Photo by Jay Ganzon/OVP)

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Vice President Leni Robredo as his drug czar but also said he doesn’t trust her, and so now, she is getting confused. 

Emerging from a meeting with the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) on Wednesday, Robredo said it’s difficult to understand how Duterte doesn’t trust her when he designated her to co-lead his administration’s drug war.

“Hindi ko rin maintindihan kasi mahirap intindihin na walang tiwala sa akin pero inappoint ako. Pero again, pareho ang sinasabi ko, the mere fact na binigyan ako ng trabaho gagawin ko ng buong puso,” she told reporters in an ambush interview.

(I also could not understand because it’s hard to understand that there’s no trust but I was appointed. Then again, like what I’ve been saying, the mere fact that I was given work I will do my job with all my heart.)

Asked if she thinks Duterte’s remarks on Tuesday night could mean she wants her out as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), Robredo replied: “Eh dapat diretsuhin na lang ako. Diretso naman akong kausap. Kung ayaw niya ako dito, in the first place, bakit ako in-appoint? Kung ayaw niya na, kung nagkamali siya sa pag-appoint sa akin at gusto niyang bawiin, sabihin lang.”

(They should tell me frankly. I’m a candid person. If he doesn’t want me anymore, in the first place, why was I appointed? If he doesn’t want already, if he was mistaken about appointing me and he wants to take it back, just say so.)

Despite such a backdrop, Robredo nonetheless reiterated her commitment to her work as a co-chair of ICAD. She even said that a lot of agencies in ICAD are “very cooperative” and felt “re-energized.”

“Kasi ako, madali akong kausap. Pero habang mayroong ine-expect sa akin na trabaho, gagawin ko iyon,” she noted.

(I am easy to talk to. But while there’s work expected of me, I will do it.)

“Gagawin ko iyong lahat na makakaya ko para magawa ko iyong trabaho ko […] Pero iyong experience ko kasi sa ICAD, majority naman ng agencies very cooperative. Ang term nga nila, na-“reenergize” sila. In fact, ngayon, very productive iyong meeting ko with DDB,” she added.

(I will do everything I can to perform my duty. But from my experience in ICAD, majority of the agencies are very cooperative. They termed it as they’re ‘re-energized’. In fact, now, my meeting with DDB is very productive.)

The Vice President then revealed that she had sent a letter to the President prior to his hastily called press conference at the Palace on Tuesday night, where he told Malacañang reporters he does not trust Robredo.

She said the letter asked for clarification on her role and the role of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Dir. Gen. Aaron Aquino as ICAD co-chairpersons.

“‘Yong sa akin lang, mahirap na hindi ka tinitiwalaan, so kahapon sumulat ako sa Pangulo even before the presscon, sinasabi ko na kailangan niyang i-clarify ‘yong mandate,” she explained.

(For me, it’s hard that you’re not being trusted, so yesterday I wrote the President even before the presscon, I asked him to clarify the mandate.)

“Hindi pwedeng kami ‘yong mag-determine kasi siya ‘yong appointing officer, kailangan siya ‘yong magsabi na ano ba ‘yong mandatong binibigay sa akin, ano ba yong limits, kasi ako naman wala naman akong plano na mag-saklaw ng mandato ng iba, dahil very general ‘yung appointment sa akin,” she added.

(It cannot be that we’ll be the ones to determine because he’s the appointing officer, he should be the one to say what mandate he’s giving me, what are the limits, because I do not have any plan to encroach on the mandate of others, because my appointment was very general.)

Duterte appointed Robredo as an ICAD co-chair on October 31, after unleashing his counter-criticisms on the Vice President who again criticized his drug war earlier.

On Tuesday night, Duterte said he can neither trust Robredo nor appoint her to a Cabinet position because of her alleged tendency to talk about matters that would endanger national security.

“The problem with Robredo is this. Right after she was appointed, she began talking publicly about inviting the Human Rights Commission, she was talking to the United Nations, she would want to talk to the European, and she talks too much,” Duterte pointed out.

“I cannot appoint her as a Cabinet member. If that is the way her mouth behaves, there can never be a position for her,” he added.

Edited by KGA