When we have a Cabinet meeting, we are invited by the CabSec and we are asked if we are going or not.

Anti-drugs czarina Leni Robredo sees the war on drugs in a different light, that is through the expensive public health approach that requires doctors instead of policemen to put addiction in check. AFP

The invitation to Vice President and anti-drugs czarina Leni Robredo to join Cabinet meetings will come but only when the agenda is about the campaign against narcotics.

Both Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and spokesman Salvador Panelo and Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go made this clear. Robredo had said that she would only attend a Cabinet meeting if she’s invited.

According to Go, President Rodrigo Duterte and the Vice President have yet to speak after Robredo accepted her appointment as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Illegal Drugs (ICAD) last 6 November.

Panelo said Robredo would need to wait for the President’s invitation to the next Cabinet meeting.

“The President said, ‘I will invite her myself,’” Panelo said.

“She has not spoken yet with the President and the Cabinet. I haven’t heard any. I’m not authorized to speak on behalf of the Executive, but as far as I know, there are no plans (to invite her). Maybe if they will talk about drugs,” he said.

The senator said the Vice President has sent an acceptance letter to Malacañang confirming her new appointment.

For his part, Panelo said it would be for Robredo’s convenience not to attend all Cabinet meetings, since attending such would be time-consuming.

“When we have a Cabinet meeting, we are invited by the CabSec (Cabinet Secretary) and we are asked if we are going or not. It’s optional for us to attend because, if it is not your topic there, you will have to stay there for the rest of the meeting until the wee hours of the morning,” Panelo said.

“If you cannot relate to the agenda, it would be better if you do not attend. That’s why I said you should be thankful. Just attend if the Cabinet meeting covers your topic,” he added.

Panelo, nonetheless, indicated that Robredo can still share her views about other issues not related to the drug menace, in case she is not invited to the Cabinet meeting.

He assured Robredo that she would not be stripped of her right to freedom of expression.

“It doesn’t mean that when you are not in Cabinet meeting, you cannot comment because there is a transcript on that and that is given to all members of the Cabinet,” he said.

“If you feel like commenting on other topics, you can do that… How? Just issue a statement or a memorandum, address whomsoever you want,” Panelo added.

Meanwhile, Go said he would back the fund increase of ICAD to strengthen the government’s war on drugs.

“As a legislator, I said that I am in full support on what will help (the campaign against drugs). As long as the vision is to combat it,” Go said in a statement.

He stressed that the continued people’s approval of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against drugs is a clear testament to the success of the campaign as he expressed optimism that such support will further improve.

“Now, 82 percent (of Filipinos based on Social Weather Stations survey) are in favor of the war on drugs. Who knows, maybe it might increase to 90 percent, 100 percent. We will help as long as it is in line with the interest of the Filipinos and there will be no more victims of drugs,” Go said.

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano also expressed openness to provide additional funds for ICAD. However, he urged the Vice President to go to Congress and not to the media if she wants more funds for the ICAD.

“When she announces (her plans), drug lords also listen, right? So why announce? Just make a command conference, talk to the people, do a good job,” Cayetano said.

“We need more funds? Then don’t say it to the media. Drug lords would know that the you will get more funds and where the funds would go,” he added.

Cayetano further added: “Meet with congressmen and we will give you the funds if needed.”

Upon accepting the ICAD post, Robredo immediately sought an increase in the 2020 budget for the anti-illegal drugs campaign, particularly in areas of rehabilitation and prevention.

She said the P15 million funding for ICAD is not enough considering its wide responsibilities.

The newly slated anti-drug czarina is also asking Congress for funds to implement the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drug Strategy, a program developed by the Dangerous Drugs Board, which is one of the agencies under ICAD.

Cayetano had earlier criticized Robredo, saying she had been “all talk” since she assumed the post as ICAD co-chair.

Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge PLt. Gen. Archie Gamboa said the PNP’s command group will sit down and strategize on how to best move forward the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

Gamboa said the PNP, along with the rest of the law enforcement cluster of the ICAD, has already met with Robredo where it was agreed for the panel to have a “one track mind” in taking “initial steps to go forward.”

“It was a leveling meeting. She (Robredo) made it for us to understand to go and as much as possible learn from what happened in the past,” Gamboa said.

“She brought up three things. First is the going forward. Second is measuring success and coming up with unified figures. And all these things were addressed already by ICAD even before. So, it was just a matter of letting her understand that these things had already existed,” he added.

Gamboa also said Robredo echoed her earlier call to reassess Operation Plan (Oplan) “Tokhang,” an initiative of the PNP where the police visit the homes of suspected drug personalities and urge them to surrender.

Robredo had previously claimed how Oplan “Tokhang” has been given a negative connotation as “a war against the poor” and is urging all concerned agencies to come up with a more humane way of going after drug suspects to prevent more “senseless killings.”

Gamboa noted that the law enforcement cluster further explained to the Vice President the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy and stressed that its implementation “wasn’t just pulled out of thin air.”

Robredo, the official said, took the discussion “positively” and was “amenable” new suggestions from the panel.

“We were able to convince her that maybe what is needed is a repackaging or a retooling on how it is going to be presented. But she is convinced that indeed the Philippine Anti-Drug Strategy is already a strategy that can be adopted outright, of letting the people feel the existence of such a strategy,” Gamboa said.