(Eagle News) — Vice President Leni Robredo has written President Rodrigo Duterte a letter to ask what exactly her mandate as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee Against Illegal Drugs was.
In an interview with reporters on Wednesday, Nov. 20, Robredo said she wrote the letter asking Duterte to clarify her responsibilities even before the President said in a press conference on Tuesday that he did not trust her enough to include her as a member of the Cabinet.
She said she wrote the letter after receiving a letter from Duterte’s office that said that her mandate would be determined by her.
The letter was in response to a separate letter written by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Aaron Aquino seeking to clarify Robredo’s mandate right after she was appointed.
“Kailangan siya (Duterte) and magdetermine kasi siya ang appointing officer,” Robredo said.
She said pending Duterte’s reply, she begged off from meeting with Aquino, who had asked to give her a briefing.
“Wala naman akong planong magsaklaw ng mandato ng iba..Yung ayoko, maaccuse ako na lumalampas sa mandato ko,” she said.
Robredo also had a response to Duterte’s statement he did not trust her.
“”Kung ayaw niya ako dito in the first place, bakit ako inappoint?” she asked.
She also gave the assurance she never invited a United Nations prosecutor to the country, and only met with the UN office of drugs and crimes and different agencies of the United States embassy.
“If nagkamali siya at gusto bawiin (ang appointment ko), sabihin lang. Madali ako kausap,” she said.