Palace pleased on VP Robredo’s openness to join in anti-drug ops

November 10, 2019

Malacanang on Sunday welcomed Vice President Leni Robredo's openness to join the law enforcers on their operations against illegal drugs.

In a radio interview, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the anti-drugs operatives need not worry about Robredo's safety since she has her own men to secure her.

“We are pleased to note that Vice President Leni is open on that kind of situation because it is different when you can see the operations personally instead of just hearing what happened,” he said in Radyo Inquirer.

Panelo said this would not be an additional responsibility for the operatives.

“It will be a different (group) that will secure Vice President Leni, she has her own security (and) it will be a different (group) for those who will conduct the raid,” he said.

The official urged the public to allow the vice president do her job as an anti-drug czar.

“Let us wish her well and let us support her,” said Panelo.

However, the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) said it did not see the need for Robredo to join in the anti-illegal drugs operations.

“There is no need (for her to join) unless there is specific instruction from the chief PNP or from our President (Rodrigo Duterte) because the nature of the position of Vice President Leni Robredo is policy-making as a co-chairperson of Inter-Agency Council on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD),” PDEG chief of operations Lieutenant Colonel Alex Dela Cerna said in a radio interview.

While they welcome Robredo's willingness to join in the operations, he said, "There is no need to ask that because she is our vice president.”

“The President’s (Rodrigo Duterte) decision to include Vice President Robredo to help us in our campaign against illegal drugs is just right and timely,” he added.

On Friday, the Chairperson of ICAD, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino, challenged Robredo to join him on their operations so that she could personally know what is happening on the ground.

Robredo accepted Duterte's offer to be a co-chairperson of ICAD. Duterte made the offer following her call for the administration to reassess its anti-narcotics war amid the rising number of persons killed and of the drug users in the country. Ella Dionisio/DMS