Palace says scope of Robredo's role as drug czar still to be determined
Malacanang admitted on Wednesday the parameters of Vice President Leni Robredo's role as the drug czar have yet to be determined.
In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the Palace welcomes Robredo's acceptance of President Rodrigo Duterte's offer to be drug czar and her acceptance of the appointment with a Cabinet rank.
"She said that she is against killing whatever. If she's now the drug czar, she can do what she wants. It will be her method of stopping, eliminating the illegal drug menace in the country and she will have the support of the entire members of the Cabinet as well as the agencies under her," Panelo initially said.
He added that Robredo would have access to all documents pertaining to the drug war.
But, later pressed on the parameters of Robredo's role as anti-drug czar, Panelo said the vice president needs to talk first with Duterte.
"She will have to talk to the President so that she will know the extent and the scope of her power as a drug czar," he said.
Based on her appointment paper, Robredo would be the co-chair of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino in the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs.
In accepting the appointment, Robredo said she wants to save people from being killed due to the administration's war on drugs.
Panelo, however, indicated that Duterte might change her perception about the deaths of some drug suspects when she assumes her post since she would be participating in operational plans.
He also expressed belief Robredo would no longer be criticizing the government's war on drugs, otherwise, she would also be criticizing herself.
"Her success is our success and her failure would be our failure. I don't think we would want that (failure)," said Panelo, also chief presidential legal counsel. Celerina Monte/DMS
