By Raymund Antonio
After her acceptance of leading an interagency body against illegal drugs, Vice President Leni Robredo will buckle down to work with the concerned agencies in charge of the drug war, her spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Atty. Barry Gutierrez
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Vice presidential spokesperson Barry Gutierrez said Robredo will focus in the coming days on how to work with drug agencies such as the Philippine Enforcement Drug Agency (PDEA).
This also includes Robredo finalizing her recommendations and other proposals to improve the drug war.
"Importante dito makuha niya iyong tamang impormasyon para malinaw ang problemang kanyang hinaharap," Gutierrez, who is also Robredo's legal adviser, said.
(It is important for her to get the right information so it would be clear for her the problem she is facing.)
"These are details which would be threshed out in the coming days. I imagine at some point these are issues they have to resolve between them," he stressed.
The Vice President, who accepted her appointment to co-chair the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), reminded authorities that the anti-illegal drug campaign should be taken seriously.
"Hindi laro-laro ang usapang ito. Seryosong usapan kapag buhay ang nakataya. Tinatanong nila ako kung handa ba ako para sa trabahong ito," Robredo said.
(This issue is not a game. We are serious when lives are stake. They are asking me if I'm ready for this job.)
"Ang tanong ko: handa ba kayo para sa akin?" she asked.
(My question is: are you ready for me?)
The ICAD has 21-member agencies, which is also chaired by PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino, who already doubted Robredo's capability to lead the government's anti-illegal drugs campaign.
Gutierrez said it would be vital that these agencies link up and coordinate with the Vice President.
"Definitely, VP Leni will not back down from her mandate here, which is to be able to take action in order to fix what she perceives to be shortcomings in the drug war,” he said.