MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo announced yesterday, Tuesday, that she will continue to work on the country’s drug problem and will reveal in the coming days her findings during her stay as co-chair of Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs.
Robredo made the announcement at a news conference after President Rodrigo Duterte removed her from her position as co-chair of ICAD of almost three weeks.
“Noong tinanggap ko ang trabahong ito, ang una kong tinanong sa e ay, ‘handa na ba kayo sa akin?’ Ngayon, ang tanong ko, ano ba ang kinatatakutan niyo?” Robredo said in live-streamed press conference.
(“When I accepted this job, my first question to them was, ‘are you ready for me?’ Now, my question is, what do you fear?” Said Robredo at a live-streamed press conference.)
“Ano ba ang kinatatakutan ninyong malaman ko? Ano ba ang kinatatakutan ninyong malaman ng taumbayan?” Robredo asked.
(“What are you afraid of knowing? What do you fear the people will know? ” Robredo asked.)
Duterte had previously stated in a news conference on November 19 that he had no confidence in Robredo because she was a member of the Liberal Party minority aside from invitation of a foreign prosecutor.
Duterte later apologized for believing the fake news about the vice president’s invitation only to remove her the following day.
At the end of his speech, the vice president said she would publish and share in the coming days a report on his findings and recommendations. She expressed her commitment to continuing the anti-drug campaign despite his removal from ICAD.
“Makakaasa kayo, kahit tinanggalan ako ng posisyon, hinding-hindi nila kayang tanggalin ang aking determinasyong itigil ang patayan, panagutin ang kailangang managot, at ipanalo ang kampanya laban sa ilegal na droga,” sabi pa niya. “Kung sa tingin nilang matatapos ito dito, hindi nila ako kilala. Nagsisimula pa lamang ako,” Robredo said.
(“You can expect that, even if the position is vacated by me, they will never be able to break my resolve to stop the massacre, take responsibility, and win the campaign against illegal drugs,” he said. “If they think it’s going to end here, they don’t know me. I’m just getting started,” Robredo said.) (Cate Pallarco/IAMIGO/CNS)
