VP Leni denies being an 'enemy' of the administration
Published Jan 9, 2020 12:00 am
By Raymund Antonio
Vice President Leni Robredo brushed off claims that she is an enemy of the administration in the fight against illegal drugs following the release of her 40-page report on the drug war.
Vice-President Leni Robredo
(Mark Balmores / MANILA BULLETIN) Robredo, former co-chair of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), said she was not an enemy even as she assessed the anti-drug campaign as a “massive failure.” “All sincerity, gusto ko naman talaga makatulong. Until now, kahit hindi ako welcome, naghahanap pa din ako ng paraan kung papaano mapapagpatuloy iyong advocacy,” she said. ((In) all sincerity, I really want to help. Until now, even if I’m not welcomed, I still look for ways on how to continue the anti-drug advocacy.) The Vice President, who is the leader of the opposition, explained her report was not political and it had something to do with the presidential elections in 2022. “Ang 2022 is still so far away. Mayroon pang two and half years, ang dami pa nating puwedeng gawin (2022 is still so far away. We still have two and half years that we could do many things),” she said. “Kapag 2022 na iyong iisipin natin, ang tingin natin sa lahat kalaban, ‘di ba. Kapag tiningnan natin iyong lahat na kalaban, hindi na talaga tayo magiging bukas,” Robredo added. (If we think of 2022, we think of everyone is an enemy, right. If we will look at everyone as an enemy, we can’t really be open.) Government officials and allies of President Duterte came down hard on Robredo for her findings and recommendations on the drug war, which they criticized for containing wrong data. Duterte himself called the country’s second top official a “colossal blunder” and refused to consider her suggestions. Robredo said she expected the series of attacks against her as soon as she publicized her report. “Ang pagbigay naman ng report na ito, alam ko na kukuyugin ako, eh. Alam ko na iyong pagtutuligsa sa akin magiging personal,” the former ICAD co-chair said. (I knew once I release this report, they will gang up on me. I knew their criticisms will be personal.) “Pero it doesn’t mean na dahil may danger na kukuyugin ako, hindi na ako magre-report, ‘di ba? Gagawin ko pa din iyong aking trabaho kahit ayaw nilang marinig iyong sasabihin ko,” she continued. (But it doesn’t mean because of the danger that they will gang up on me, I will no longer report. I would still do my job even if they don’t want to hear it.) The Vice President wondered why concerned officials cried foul over her report when Duterte himself previously declared his drug war saw no success. “Kasi hindi lang naman ako iyong nagsabi na hindi tayo nagsa-succeed. Si Presidente mismo ang nagsabi na talagang failing iyong kampanya,” she said. (Because it was not only me who said we did not succeed. The President himself said the campaign is failing.)
Vice-President Leni Robredo(Mark Balmores / MANILA BULLETIN) Robredo, former co-chair of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), said she was not an enemy even as she assessed the anti-drug campaign as a “massive failure.” “All sincerity, gusto ko naman talaga makatulong. Until now, kahit hindi ako welcome, naghahanap pa din ako ng paraan kung papaano mapapagpatuloy iyong advocacy,” she said. ((In) all sincerity, I really want to help. Until now, even if I’m not welcomed, I still look for ways on how to continue the anti-drug advocacy.) The Vice President, who is the leader of the opposition, explained her report was not political and it had something to do with the presidential elections in 2022. “Ang 2022 is still so far away. Mayroon pang two and half years, ang dami pa nating puwedeng gawin (2022 is still so far away. We still have two and half years that we could do many things),” she said. “Kapag 2022 na iyong iisipin natin, ang tingin natin sa lahat kalaban, ‘di ba. Kapag tiningnan natin iyong lahat na kalaban, hindi na talaga tayo magiging bukas,” Robredo added. (If we think of 2022, we think of everyone is an enemy, right. If we will look at everyone as an enemy, we can’t really be open.) Government officials and allies of President Duterte came down hard on Robredo for her findings and recommendations on the drug war, which they criticized for containing wrong data. Duterte himself called the country’s second top official a “colossal blunder” and refused to consider her suggestions. Robredo said she expected the series of attacks against her as soon as she publicized her report. “Ang pagbigay naman ng report na ito, alam ko na kukuyugin ako, eh. Alam ko na iyong pagtutuligsa sa akin magiging personal,” the former ICAD co-chair said. (I knew once I release this report, they will gang up on me. I knew their criticisms will be personal.) “Pero it doesn’t mean na dahil may danger na kukuyugin ako, hindi na ako magre-report, ‘di ba? Gagawin ko pa din iyong aking trabaho kahit ayaw nilang marinig iyong sasabihin ko,” she continued. (But it doesn’t mean because of the danger that they will gang up on me, I will no longer report. I would still do my job even if they don’t want to hear it.) The Vice President wondered why concerned officials cried foul over her report when Duterte himself previously declared his drug war saw no success. “Kasi hindi lang naman ako iyong nagsabi na hindi tayo nagsa-succeed. Si Presidente mismo ang nagsabi na talagang failing iyong kampanya,” she said. (Because it was not only me who said we did not succeed. The President himself said the campaign is failing.)