Duterte, Robredo had “very civil meeting” in LEDAC: Abella

January 31, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte convened on Monday a meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), which Vice President Leni Robredo also attended.

This was the first time Duterte invited Robredo in Malacanang for a meeting after she received a notice in December not to attend the Cabinet meetings. This prompted Robredo to quit as head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

Asked if there was any awkwardness between Duterte and Robredo, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said: "There was none, everybody is matured. I think the Vice President understood the context this time."

"(I)t was a very civil meeting," he said.

Robredo, who belongs to the opposition Liberal Party, was eased out from the Cabinet meetings because of her "irreconcilable differences" with the administration.

Abella said there were about 39 items from the congressional legislative agenda, while the president had 28 during the LEDAC meeting.

Among the proposed measures that were discussed were the possible termination of the barangay elections, salary increases and incentives for retirement pay of the military, tax reforms and fiscal incentives, he said.

He said they discussed terrorism and war on drugs.

"But one thing that’s definite is that, it has been agreed upon that the LEDAC will be meeting once every quarter and it was proposed that the committees, the various committees will be meeting once a month," Abella added. Celerina Monte/DMS