By GENALYN D. KABILING
Vice President Leni Robredo might have created more issues and make a mess if she stayed longer as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), President Duterte said Monday.
The President admitted that he was scared of such scenario especially since Robredo was supposedly incompetent to handle the job.
“Ang kinatakutan ko magkalat siya [I’m afraid that she will create a mess],” Duterte said during an interview over GMA’s morning show “Unang Hirit” aired Monday days after firing Robredo as the country’s anti-drug czar.
“There was a time when I said, Leni Robredo, you cannot hack it kaya ako takot [so I am afraid]. The more that she stays with the ICAD, the more that she would create issues and the more that the people will be, well, in a quandary kung ano ba totoo ditho. Ang kinatakutan ko, kasi wala talaga siyang alam [in a quandary on what is real. I’m afraid because she doesn’t know anything],” he added.
Duterte said he thought Robredo could help in the anti-drug campaign but apparently could not handle the job.
“Ah, is there a song, ‘Tinimbang ka ngunit kulang?’” he said when asked by the television hosts if he has a song for Robredo.
He explained that Robredo kept on “harping on so many things “ such as the alleged failure of the drug war so he decided to offer her the ICAD post to listen to her suggestions.
“So sabi ko, why don’t you just join us at actually it was, an exasperation thing for me. Eh di sabi ko ikaw sumali ka lang. Para malaman mo,” he said.
He said he expected Robredo “to give the direction and guidance” in the war on drugs such as the police use of body camera and allowing media to join anti-drug operations.
With less than three weeks in her job, Robredo however “made an a**** of herself,” Duterte said.
He expressed dismay that Robredo consulted the United States embassy officials about the anti-drug campaign. He believed that she should not have committed such act especially the country is a sovereign nation.
“Una, inappoint ko siya. Kinabukasan, pumunta siya sa embassy ng US (embassy). That’s the one thing I do not like. If you are a sovereign nation, you should not be like a, para kang… Why did this… You almost, you know, an ass-licking guy,” he said.
He also disputed Robredo’s allegation that the administration’s war on drugs was a failure. He explained that fighting the drug problem will continue “until kingdom come.”
“They were complaining all the time, palpak daw, hindi daw successful ang drug campaign. You know, this drug story is not one story. Na matapos mo. Fighting crimes is a continuing one until kingdom come, until the end of time, until the end of this republic.There will always be crime, challenges to meet,” he said.
