Duterte ‘afraid’ Robredo would mess up ICAD job

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City on November 20, 2019. ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — The longer Vice President Leni Robredo stays as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), the more chance for her to mess up, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday.

Duterte defended anew his decision to fire Robredo as drug czar citing her “missteps” which included her tendency to meet with foreign personalities and institutions and her failure to provide new solutions to the drug war.

“Ang kinatatakutan ko magkalat siya. Kaya ako takot (I fear that she would mess up. That’s why I’m afraid),” Duterte said in an interview over GMA’s Unang Hirit on Monday morning.

“The more that she stays with the ICAD, the more that she would create issues and the more that the people will be like wondering,” he added.

He also admitted that he asked Robredo to oversee the war on drugs because he was “exasperated” about her having criticized it for “not working.”

“Ano bang totoo dito (What’s true here)? Leni keeps on harping on so many things — na (that) it has not succeeded, eh hindi namin masabi sa kaniya kung bakit eh so sabi ko (We can’t explain it to her so I said) ‘Why don’t you just join us?” Duterte said.

“Actually, it’s an exasperation thing for me. Sabi ko, ‘eh di ikaw sumali ka na para malaman mo (I said, ‘You join the ICAD so that you will find out’),” he added.

Last week, Duterte claimed Robredo “made an asshole of herself” by talking to representatives from the United States and United Nations instead of talking to personalities directly involved in the anti-narcotics campaign.

Instead of talking to people directly involved in the drug war, Duterte said the sacked drug czar preferred to meet with foreigners who have already prejudged his crackdown on illegal drugs.

Duterte also insisted Robredo was “stupid” to claim that his anti-narcotics campaign is a failure, stressing that his fight against illicit drug sale is a “never-ending war.”

“Anong palpak? Kailan naging palpak? Kayo ang palpak (What do you mean failure? When did it become a failure? The failure is you),” Duterte said in an exclusive interview with CNN on Friday.

“All stupid remarks coming out from an empty head. Anong palpak (How did it become a failure)? The war on drugs is a continuing one in all countries, even in America. You know that. Do not pretend. If you are not stupid, do not pretend to be stupid. Alam ninyo iyan (You know that). It is a never-ending war,” he added.

Duterte appointed Robredo as anti-drug czar on October 31 to help co-chair the ICAD with Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino.

After over a few weeks in office, Duterte fired Robredo after she committed “missteps” and completely lost his trust in her.