(Eagle News)–President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, Oct. 28, said he was ready to appoint Vice President Leni Robredo as drug czar if she thought she could do better.
The President said this was what he meant when he said he would “surrender my powers to enforce the law” to Robredo for six months.
Duterte made the comment after Robredo said there was a need to reassess the drug war after it failed to curb the number of drug users in the country.
“As a matter of fact, I am sending her a letter through ES [Salvador] Medialdea. I will surrender my powers to enforce the law, ibigay ko sa Vice President. Ibigay ko sa kanya mga six months. Siya ang magdala. Tignan natin kung ano ang mangyari. Hindi ako makialam. Mas bright ka? Sige, ikaw, subukan mo,” Duterte said.
Duterte issued the comment after he criticized the opposition for “riding” on issues, with Robredo, he said, always harping on human rights.
Robredo was appointed as housing czar by Duterte in 2016.
She was later told to cease from attending Cabinet meetings, however, prompting her to resign.
Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said her criticisms of the drug war and of Duterte’s decision to allow the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at Libingan ng mga Bayani might have been the reason for the order for her not to attend Cabinet meetings.