House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano yesterday described Vice President Leni Robredo as “all talk” so far in her capacity as Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs co-chair.
“I’ve been monitoring for the last three days, and parang from ‘Operating Tokhang,’ parang naging ‘Operation All-Talk’ eh. Well, nagulat ako,” Cayetano said.
“I guess it just so happens that the Vice President is the favorite media, or she likes media exposure,” Cayetano added.
“But usually in her first three days, sa office ko nga the first month, I asked people to be involved in all the meetings, get yourself acquainted, and everything, then do the talking later,” he noted.
Cayetano also said Robredo is “starting on the wrong mouth” as far as her new position is concerned.
He said that Robredo has to respect the administration’s work in ridding the country of illegal drugs in the last three years.
“‘Wag ka muna magcomment hangga’t ‘di mo nakikita yung nangyayari sa ground,” the House Speaker was quoted as saying on Twitter.
He claimed that the Duterte administration’s ongoing anti-illegal drugs campaign is the most successful in the country since the 1970s.
Meanwhile, Robredo lamented the lack of funds for drug rehabilitation centers and drug preventive education as she eyes to improve the ongoing campaign against illegal drugs.
Robredo said the anti-drug body needs more than the P15-million allocation in 2020. “Tingin ko, kulang iyon dahil sa lawak ng responsibilities,” she said.
The Vice President also said ICAD member-agencies were also asking for funds for the implementation of the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drug Strategy, a program that aims to boost government’s anti-narcotics campaign.
The PADS, formulated by the Dangerous Drugs Board, “outlines the balanced efforts of the government to strengthen its campaign against prohibited drugs and their precursors, and contribute to international efforts to counter the worldwide illegal drug problem.”
President Duterte had institutionalized PADS under Executive Order 66, which directed all government offices, including government-owned and -controlled corporations and state universities and colleges, to implement the PADS in accordance with their respective mandates.
Robredo, however, said concerned agencies such as the Department of Health and Department of Education have much work to do with regards to drug rehabilitation and prevention.
“Nag-present ng programa iyong DoH. Marami na silang nagawa pero talagang marami pang kulang,” she said.
“Iyong nakita pa natin na pagkukulang, iyong preventive education. Kulang pa iyong programa sa mga paaralan. Iyon iyong tututukan natin,” she added. (Ellson Quismorio and Raymund Antonio)