{"id":87986,"date":"2017-02-04T11:01:26","date_gmt":"2017-02-04T16:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=87986"},"modified":"2017-02-04T11:01:26","modified_gmt":"2017-02-04T16:01:26","slug":"robredo-snubs-critics-discusses-oplan-tokhang-electoral-protest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2017\/02\/04\/robredo-snubs-critics-discusses-oplan-tokhang-electoral-protest\/","title":{"rendered":"Robredo snubs critics; discusses Oplan Tokhang, electoral protest"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Vice<\/a>
Vice President Leni Robredo. (Photo: Leni Robredo\/Facebook<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MANILA, Philippines\u2014Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday refused to address her critics, calling them \u201ca lost cause\u201d and discussed issues that plague the nation and herself.<\/p>\n

In a two-part interview by GMA News TV\u2019s \u201cNews to Go\u201d aired on Thursday and Friday, Robredo, when asked for a message to her critics, who, at the same time are supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte said, \u201cI\u2019m not going to give a message to them because I think it\u2019s a lost cause. It’s a lost cause in the sense that though they don\u2019t know me, they have already judged me and their judgments are not true. Those are not the judgment of the people who know me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robredo said that she\u2019d rather give a message to those who are have open minds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m thankful to those who are open-minded. Their comments matter to me, even negative ones. It allows us to look into ourselves if we are doing wrong. It\u2019s not right to be praised when mistakes were committed,\u201d the Vice President said.<\/p>\n

\u2018Tokhang for Ransom\u2019\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

In the first part of the interview aired on Thursday, Robredo said that she raised the \u2018Tokhang for Ransom\u2019 controversy to the media even before news of the the kidnap-slay case of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo broke out but was chastised by the Philippine National Police.<\/p>\n

She also expressed opposition to giving the PNP a \u2018blanket authority\u2019 in its anti-illegal drugs operation, Oplan Tokhang<\/em>, rogue cops used as cover in their illegal activities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the danger of giving a blanket authority to the PNP, an agency that we know needs fixing. There are many steps that has to be taken to cleanse the organization. When we give them blanket authority by saying, \u2018You won\u2019t face any repercussion. I will look out for you.\u2019 It encourages them (to abuse power),\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am all with the president in his war on drugs but I am not okay with his \u2018tokhang<\/em>\u2019. I am not okay with extrajudicial killings. I think there has to be some other ways of doing this,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

The Vice President suggested that the administration look at other countries for example.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have seen countries who tried the same route and have been successful. I always say, \u2018Why don\u2019t we study the countries who were successful on their war on drugs and derive lessons from their experiences?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Furthermore, Robredo called on the administration to take a different route on its approach in suppressing illegal drug trade.<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil now there are still big drug laboratories being raided. With all those killings in the past six months, it didn\u2019t became a deterrent because the drug trade goes on,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been six months (since the \u2018war on drugs\u2019 was launched) and nothing has happened yet. Maybe we have to rethink (the approach on illegal drugs). What are we doing wrong?\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Following the involvement of some members of the police force in the kidnapping and killing of Jee, Duterte has ordered all government agencies to stop their anti-illegal drug operations.<\/p>\n

\u2018No to martial law\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

President Rodrigo Duterte on January 14 said that he will declare martial law if the illegal drug woes in the country would worsen.<\/p>\n

Robredo vowed to be vigilant and not let it happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur 1987 Constitution has been very explicit. Martial law can be declared but only in extreme circumstances,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will actively oppose it (declaration of martial law) and be actively vigilant that this won\u2019t happen until the circumstances require to,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe problems brought about by the drug war, under the constitution, is not enough reason for the President to declare martial law,\u201d Robredo said.<\/p>\n

She also appealed to the public to be vigilant of the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to be vigilant. The lessons from history should be an enough warning to us that we can\u2019t take the issue lightly,\u201d Robredo said.<\/p>\n

Hits and misses<\/strong><\/p>\n

While Robredo criticized some of the Duterte administration\u2019s policies, the Vice President pointed out some of the government projects that she supports.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re on the right track with the peace process. In the sense that we again open the doors to listen to divergent views of not only the Muslims in Mindanao and many others,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Robredo also praised the administration for retaining the effective macro-economic policies started by the previous administration and the continuation of social protection programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am open to hear the other proposals being made now. The tax reform package is worth looking into,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Missing her old job<\/strong><\/p>\n

Robredo admitted in the second part of the interview that she misses her job as head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), a position she resigned from on December 5 after Duterte banned her from attending cabinet meetings.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing head of HUDCC puts me in a position to really implement changes in the make-up of housing. I saw many problems. I was there for seven months. I had a lot of plans that I wanted to implement but wasn\u2019t able to,\u201d she said<\/p>\n

\u201c(Resigning from HUDCC) felt like giving birth to a child and leaving the baby in the hospital,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

On January 25, Duterte gave a deadline to HUDCC, now headed by Secretary Leoncio Evasco, to finish all the housing projects for families affected by Supertyphoon Yolanda by March this year.<\/p>\n

When asked if this can be accomplished, Robredo replied, \u201cI think the deadline can be met as long as; one, the agencies involved decide to do away with the red tape; two, my suggestion before I left was to download the money to the local government already because the National Housing Authority can\u2019t do it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Electoral protest<\/strong><\/p>\n

On June 29 last year, Ferdinand \u201cBongbong\u201d Marcos Jr., Robredo\u2019s rival in the 2016 Vice-Presidential election, filed an electoral protest to the Supreme Court, asking it to declare him the true winner of the election.<\/p>\n

Marcos said that Robredo\u2019s win is a product of electoral fraud, a claim Robredo denied.<\/p>\n

The Vice President also accused Marcos of grandstanding.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat saddens me is it\u2019s being turn into a media issue. The camp of Bongbong Marcos are telling a lot of statement that aren\u2019t true,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Robredo stressed that she\u2019s confident the Supreme Court\u2019s decision would be favorable to her and asked the public to have faith in the High Court.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to trust (the Supreme Court). This is the institution that is the last bastion of democracy. It will decide what is fair and what is not, what is right and what is wrong. We need to trust the institution. I believe that the (electoral fraud) case will be decided fair and square,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have nothing to be afraid of. We know that weren\u2019t part of an electoral fraud. We believe that no such thing happened in the elections. We think that the elections was generally clean, fair, and honest. We really have the mandate of the Filipino people,\u201d Robredo added.<\/p>\n

The Supreme Court is yet to hand its verdict on Marcos\u2019s electoral protest.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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