BREAKING: Robredo accepts Duterte’s drug czar post appointment

By: Gabriel Pabico Lalu - INQUIRER.net November 06,2019 - 01:52 PM

[A] Vice President Leni Robredo addresses the media regarding the letter from the President designating her as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs.

Posted by VP Leni Robredo on Tuesday, November 5, 2019

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo has finally accepted President Rodrigo Duterte’s invite for her to be the co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).

Robredo said this Wednesday, a day after Malacañang sent out a memorandum appointing her a post that she would share with Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Aaron Aquino.

READ: Duterte appoints Robredo co-chair of gov’t committee vs illegal drugs

Initially, Robredo’s camp was mum on whether or not she would accept or decline the appointment, with spokesperson Barry Gutierrez saying that the ‘problematic’ memorandum offered a non-existent post, according of Executive Order No. 15.

READ: Robredo has not yet accepted drug czar post – spokesman

Duterte’s invite for Robredo to handle the government’s anti-drug operations was borne out of his frustration with the Vice President’s remarks in an interview with foreign media, where she supposedly said that the drug war has to be stopped.

Robredo later clarified that she never intended to ask for the drug war’s stoppage, as she only sought for a reassessment of the program.

It took some time for Robredo to respond for Robredo to Duterte’s dare, as she doubted the seriousness of the offer. She also fumed at Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo’s supposed invite sent through text messages, asking the administration to respect her office. /je