After accepting anti-illegal drug czar post, Robredo says UN should let PHL gov’t solve drug problem first

Vice President Leni Robredo as she takes the helm and convenes her first meeting with the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) on Friday, Nov. 8, 2019.
(Photo courtesy VP Leni Robredo Facebook)

 

(Eagle News) – After accepting the post as the country’s new anti-illegal drug czar, Vice President Leni Robredo has changed her tune and now wants the United Nations not to interfere yet in the Philippine government’s drug war.

After convening her first meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), Robredo said that the Philippines should be given the opportunity to fight and solve its illegal drug problem.

“I have said this time and again that I feel that our problems should first be solved internally,” Robredo said in a press briefing, along with her ICAD co-chairman, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino.

Before she accepted President Rodrigo Duterte’s offer for her to be the anti-illegal drug czar, Robredo showed support for a UN probe into the Philippine government’s drug war, criticizing the number of alleged extrajudicial killings that was happening under the Duterte administration.

But after being given information about the drug war by member-agencies of the ICAD, she said that she had learned that there were many efforts being done by various government agencies to stop the illegal drug menace which included the rehabilitation of many drug surrenderers.

“From the very start, I’ve been very vocal, I don’t agree with the killings,” she said.

-Clearer picture of the drug war-

Yung report ng bawat cluster, napakahusay in the sense na for the first time, meron na ngayong framework na pinagpaguran talaga ng Dangerous Drugs Board and all the agencies concerned. Pinagpaguran talaga. For the first time, klaro yung polisiya,” Robredo said.

Aquino said that Robredo could have seen more details that would enlighten her on the government’s drug war.

Mas nakita lang siguro ni Vice-President yung mga improvement na dapat gawin,” the PDEA chief said.

He said that Robredo would be able to understand what the Philippine drug war campaign is all about when she meets with the different clusters which have different mandates with regard to the government campaign.

“In as much as I’ve always said that if there’s nothing to hide then what are we fearful for, but you know, I would rather that we take care of whatever we have to take care of,” Robredo said.

She said that she would meet the UN officers on Monday, on the best practices from other countries.

Sa Monday, imi-meet ko iyong UN officers dito sa Pilipinas, na maraming mga researches and studies about best practices saka lessons from other countries regarding the campaign against illegal drugs,” Robredo added.