Palace waiting for Robredo’s ‘findings’

Vice President Leni Robredo can still help the country but not as an anti-illegal drugs official. (AFP)

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Tuesday said Malacañang’s termination of Vice President Leni Robredo as anti-illegal drugs official averted more mistakes that could have harmed the country.

“Unang una, ‘yung sinasabi nyang di pa sya tapos eh naniniwala kami na hindi pa sya tapos sa kapalpakan kasi sunod-sunod ang kapalpakang ginagawa nya eh, totoo ‘yun,” Panelo said.

At the same time, Panelo said Robredo did not make sense when she asked what the government was afraid of and probably hiding when she was fired as the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) co-chair.

“At ‘yung sinasabi nyang ‘yung anong kinakatakot ni Presidente? Iyun ang tinatawag nating sentido kumon. Kung ikaw ay may tinatago bakit mo pa papasukin ang isang kalaban? Kalaban sya supposed to be eh nasa oposisyon eh. Yan ang common sense na tinatawag. Walang sense nga ang sinasabi ni VP Leni,” Panelo said.

Panelo reiterated that if Robredo already had knowledge of wrongdoings in government, she could have released the information immediately.

“Ibig nya ba sabihin nung andun sya sa loob ng administrasyon kung ano man ang natuklasan nyang masama o iligal hindi nya isisiwalat dahil nasa loob sya ng administrasyon at ngayong nasa labas na sya tsaka nya lang ilalabas?,” Panelo said.

Whatever Robredo found out as an ICAD official, it was provided to her by the government.

“So ano yung sinasabi mong natuklasan mo? Hindi mo natuklasan, ibinigay sayo lahat ‘yan kung ano man ‘yang sinasabi mo. Hindi ba? Open eh. Baka natuklasan mo kulang ang budget, ‘yun ang sinasabi mo eh kulang ang budget kaya humihingi,” Panelo said, reiterating that Robredo’s incompetence did her in.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Sunday night confirmed that President Duterte fired Robredo from ICAD.

Medialdea confirmed Robredo’s sacking minutes after Panelo was quoted as saying that the Chief Executive decided to remove Robredo as drug official due to her inability to infuse new tact on the government’s war on illegal drugs.

“The President has been more than patient, giving the Vice President adequate opportunity to discuss possible courses of action with him. More than two weeks have passed since the Vice President accepted her designation as ICAD co-chair. But she has not presented any new program that she envisioned to implement,” Panelo said in a statement.