Vice President Leni Robredo has no business interfering in the law enforcement aspect of the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign, Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Police Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa said yesterday.
Gamboa said that there is also no need for Robredo to have a copy of the high-value targets despite her appointment as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee Against Illegal Drugs.
“When you say a co-chairpersonship in ICAD, remember it’s a collegial body and it’s supposed to be policymaking,” Gamboa explained. “You are supposed to review, fine. If you want to review the law enforcement campaign but would it really matter if you know who are on the list,” he added.
Gamboa said that since ICAD is composed of four different sub-committees, Robredo should leave the law enforcement side to the PNP, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the National Bureau of Investigation.
The Vice President, he said, could focus on the advocacy and rehabilitation side of the anti-illegal drugs campaign.
“Why would VP not take the advocacy and the rehabilitation. Pasok ‘yung sinasabi niya that the illegal drugs is actually a health problem so probably that can fall on advocacy and rehabilitation,” said Gamboa. “But law enforcement and prosecution or on the justice could be best left to those who know it which is the PNP, PDEA, NBI for law enforcement and the Department of Justice for justice,” he stressed.
Top players in the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign, including political allies of President Duterte, appear to have been ganging up on Robredo since she was appointed as co-chairperson of the ICAD.
Her appointment was out of the anger of Duterte who was offended when Robredo said that there is a need to take a second look on the drug war because it appears that it is no longer working.
PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino also does not want Robredo to have a copy of the HVTs in the drug war.
Robredo yesterday assured Duterte that she has no intention of revealing any sensitive drug-related information that would endanger the security of the State.
Robredo, following the approval by the Senate Finance Committee of the proposed 2020 P664.8-million budget of the Office of the Vice President in less a minute, said that she has no intention of disclosing sensitive information on the current anti-drug campaign of the government.
“’Yung assurance naman lahat ng sensitive information hindi idi-disclose,” the Vice President said when asked about Duterte’s statement that she will be fired as co-chair of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs if she shares confidential information on the drug war with other countries. (Aaron Recuenco with a report from Mario Casayuran)