BREAKING: Robredo defers drug war report

Vice President Leni Robredo. INQUIRER.net / GABRIEL LALU

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo has deferred publicizing her drug war report, in deference to the relief operations being done by the government for victims of the Davao del Sur earthquakes.

Robredo said this Monday at a press conference where she was expected to release her report and recommendations on the drug war.

She said the report may be released anytime, but relief efforts for those affected by Sunday’s Magnitude 6.9 quake should take priority.

“Parang napaka-mali sa timing na asikasuhin natin iyong report sa ICAD, na mayroon pa namang panahon para pag-usapan ito. Tingin namin mas mabuti na ang pagtuonan ng pansin ngayon ng lahat, kung paano tayo makakatulong doon sa mga victims saka sa mga kababayan natin, na magki-Christmas pa naman,” Robredo said during the briefing.

“Ito namang report na ito, puwede nating gawin anytime kung wala nang ganitong pinagkakaabalahan tayong lahat. Pero tingin ko, ito talaga, panawagan na magkaisa tayo. Magkaisa para magtulong-tulong,” she added.

Robredo was co-chair of the administration’s Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs until she was fired by President Rodrigo Duterte barely three weeks after her appointment to lead the anti-narcotics unit alongside Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Aaron Aquino.

The vice president originally deferred releasing it during the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

During her brief stint, she advocated for the integration of community-based rehabilitation programs, the scrapping of Oplan Tokhang, and the creation of a baseline data on the drug war.

Robredo said that teams from the Office of the Vice President have already been deployed to the area to assess the needs of the victims, while she also talked with local officials including Davao del Sur Rep. Mercedas Cagas.

According to reports, a six-year-old child has been confirmed dead due to the earthquake, which was felt strongly due to its shallow depth of only three kilometers.

Various intensities were recorded across Davao del Sur its nearby provinces, the strongest of which — an Intensity 7 — was reported in the towns of Matanao and Magsaysay.

Robredo also apologized to the people anticipating her report, although she clarified that it is already available, even showing a copy of the report during the briefing.

“In fact, nandito na iyong report.  It’s a 40-page report, na iyong summary sana sasabihin ko ngayon, together with the recommendations,” Robredo said.

“Pasensya na kayo. Alam ko na lahat naghintay kasi ini-announce natin ito, pero dahil nga sa nangyari kahapon, ipagpaliban muna natin,” she added.