「日刊まにら新聞」ウェブ

President Rodrigo Duterte has admitted that he fired Vice President Leni Robredo as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs because the longer she stayed in her post, the more she would create issues.

Duterte made the statement during the interview of Unang Hirit last Friday but only aired over GMA-7 on Monday.

"The more that she stays with the ICAD, the more that she would create issues and the more that the people will be, well, in a quandary what's the truth. What I'm really afraid of she really doesn't know anything," he said.

Robredo, who is from the opposition Liberal Party, co-chaired ICAD with Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino, for only 18 days.

Duterte offered Robredo the post as anti-illegal drug czar after she urged the administration to re-assess its bloody war on drugs.

She wondered that despite the killings of the drug suspects, the number of drug users was still increasing.

Duterte even promised Robredo a Cabinet rank post just to accept his offer.

Robredo accepted the offer days later, apparently to the surprise of Malacanang.

As ICAD chair, Robredo started consulting various groups and individuals, including the United Nations, and also sought the list of high-value targets in the drug war.

But all of these did suit the administration, saying that Robredo committed "missteps" until Duterte finally fired her.

"Well, I thought that she could help, because, you know, everyone is being listened to. We hear everybody. What I really meant for her, for the job, was for her just to give the direction and guidance," Duterte said.

He said he also didn't like Robredo going to the US Embassy and talking with the officials there.

"That's one thing I do not like. If you are a sovereign nation, you should not be like...you almost, you know, as ass-licking guy," he said.

Robredo, however, did not go to the US Embassy but she talked with the interagency US government working delegation with officials from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of State and US Agency for International Development to discuss the cooperation of the two countries on the campaign against illegal drugs. Celerina Monte/DMS