Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo slammed President Rodrigo Duterte after he belittled anew the leadership skills of his constitutional successor.
In a speech before members of the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association, Inc. (PMAAAI) last Thursday, Duterte admitted that he went to a hospital to undergo some medical tests. The President is not certain about the status of his health but he said he will let the public know if he has cancer.
[READ: Duterte admits going to hospital for some tests]
Duterte, in the same speech, also did not forget to talk about his Vice President as he once again found a way to attack her.
“I will not resign to give it to… I do not mean to offend the lady. She’s very good. She’s gentle. Pero mahina talaga si Leni (but Leni is really weak),” Duterte said.
“Hindi mahina ‘yung utak, pumasa ng bar eh. Mahina sa diskarte (She is not weak in terms of intelligence because she was able to pass the bar exams. She is weak in terms of strategy),” he added.
In response to this, Robredo said the President does not need to use his illness as an excuse to belittle her.
“Wala namang may gustong magkasakit ang Pangulo. Pero hindi dahilan ang sakit para maliitin na naman ako (Nobody wants the President to get sick. But that should not be used as a reason to belittle me again),” she said in a statement on Friday, October 5.
The Vice President reminded Duterte that they were elected in the position because the public believes that with their capabilities as the leaders of the country, the lives of all Filipino people will get better.
Unfortunately, Robredo stressed, Duterte’s strategic skills in the past two years did not achieve the public’s expectation but the opposite.
“Tumaas ang presyo ng mga bilihin, lalong humirap ang buhay, dumami ang alegasyon ng korapsyon, at libo-libong mga Pilipino ang pinatay (The prices of goods have increased, life becomes more difficult, there are more allegations of corruption, and thousands of Filipinos were killed),” she said.
Robredo added that instead of engaging herself in political activities, she would rather do her work quietly.
“Ang tapang, lakas at diskarte, hindi nadadaan sa mapanirang salita. Ang kailangan ng taumbayan ay tapang sa gawa (Courage, strength, and strategic skills are not shown through insults. What the Filipinos need is the courage to take action),” the Vice President said.
She then urged the government that they should work hard to address the country’s problem and not to focus on throwing insults at one another.
“Sinumpaan naming mga lider na magtatrabaho kami para sa mga kapwa naming Pilipinong bumabangon araw-araw para mabigyan ng mas magandang buhay ang kanilang pamilya. Bumabangon ako araw-araw para gawin ‘yan (Us, leaders, vowed to work for our fellow Filipinos who wake up every day to give their families a better future. I wake up every day to do the same),” she said.
Duterte has repeatedly said he does not want Robredo to take over his position as she lacks leadership skills.
He said he would rather prefer the son of the late dictator, former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero to succeed him if he resigns.