Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino said he has accorded all respect and courtesy due to the Vice President during her two-week stint as his co-chairman of the Inter Agency Committee Against Illegal Drugs or ICAD.

Aquino denied the statement of Vice President Leni Robredo he was supportive in private, dismissive in front of media.

He even said he advised Robredo to meet the four ICAD clusters one by one to better understand the committee.

“If you remember, I was even the one who asked the VP to join in one of our operations during the first ICAD meeting with VP last November 8 at her office in Quezon City for her to have a full understanding of what the law enforcers are doing,” Aquino said.

“In fact last December 10, 2019, during the ICAD fellowship, I asked all ICAD members to make the necessary actions on the recommendations of VP Robredo stipulated in her letter to President Duterte dated November 11, 2019 and report the same to the ICAD on January 2020,” he said.

"“Well, she met ICAD last November 8 for what she described as “listening exercise. Last November 12, she met the law enforcement cluster. Then she met with DILG, PDEA and Dangerous Drugs Board, which are just members of different clusters. She really did not meet the other clusters. That is deficiency that I am saying,” he added.

Aquino clarified that he did not beg Robredo to stay with the ICAD.

“I never told her not to leave us. It was the Vice President who said that she will stay as long as the President wants her to retain her post as ICAD co-chairman. maybe the VP only got mixed up by the turn of events,” he said.

On Robredo's statement that he is not a true gentleman, he said “she is entitled to her opinion.”

“But she is the only one who told me that in my entire life," said Aquino. Robina Asido/DMS