Vice President Leonor “Leni” Robredo continues to fulfill her anti-drug czar duties unabatedly despite the Malacañan’s confirmation that her co-chairmanship of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-illegal Drugs (ICAD) is not a cabinet post. “‘Yong sa’kin lang, pagtanggap ko ng trabaho, hindi nag-ma-matter kung cabinet post ‘yon o hindi. Basta sa’kin, pagtanggap ko ng trabaho, first day palang ng pagtanggap ko, nagtrabaho na ako” (To me, once I accept a job, it doesn’t matter if it is a cabinet post or not. To me, the moment I accepted the job, right on the first day, I worked), explains the Vice President.
Today, November 19, 2019, the veep met with a community in Navotas City to listen to some suggestions about the contra-illegal-drug campaign. She also met with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to discuss other government arms’ participation in the illegal drug eradication.
DILG chief Eduardo Año believes that Vice President Robredo’s non-inclusion in the Duterte cabient will not impede the her execution of the duties appended to her ICAD co-leadership. “As far as we know, being the co-chair, the Vice President, still, has the lead to all agencies as far as campaign programs are concerned,” explains Año.
The DILG secretary also does not see any wrong on the meeting of the veep with the international community with respect to obliterating illegal drugs. “In fact, ‘yong ibang mga congressman natin, ang information galing sa mga international organizations involved in drugs operation. So, open tayo d’yan. Kung gusto nilang ibigay kay Vice President . . . .” (In fact, the information of some of our congressmen comes from international organizations involved in drug operations. So, we are open at that. If they want to give it to Vice President . . . . ), Año opines.
Vice President Robredo explains on her consultation with other countries on the matter: “Kailangan tayong makipagtulungan sa ibang bansa. Hindi natin kayang i-constrict ‘yong supply kung wala tayong pakikipagtulungan sa ibang bansa” (We need to cooperate with other countries. We are not able to constrict the supply if we do not have a collaboration with the other nations).
Tomorrow, November 20, the veep meets with the Dangerous Drugs Board.
