Kinumpirma ng Malacañang na opisyal ng nilagdaan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang dokumentong nagtatalaga kay Vice President Leni Robredo bilang Co-Chairperson ng Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).
Batay sa dokumento, pirmado ni Pangulong Duterte ang designation paper ni VP Robredo noong Oktubre 31 bago ito tumulak papuntang Bangkok, Thailand kung saan dumalo sa 35th ASEAN Leaders’ Summit.
“Members of the political opposition have been issuing demands relative to the President’s offer to the Vice President to head the government’s campaign against illegal drugs, alleging that the same is a ruse manufactured by this Administration to discredit the latter,” ani Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo.
Sinabi ni Sec. Panelo, gaya ng gusto ng oposisyon, inatasan ni Pangulong Duterte ang lahat ng drug enforcement agencies at offices gaya ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP) at Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) na ibigay ang buong suporta at kooperasyon kay VP Robredo para sa nasabing trabaho.
Ayon kay Sec. Panelo, katulad ng demand ng mga kritiko, hindi na lamang anim na buwan kundi hanggang matapos na ang termino ni Pangulong Duterte ang panunungkulan ni VP Robredo bilang drug czar at ginawa ito sa pamamagitan ng official correspondence at hind i na lamang verbal o electronic communication.
“They have demanded that she be authorized to become the drug czar until the end of PRRD’s term, and the same paper designates her with the highest position possible to battle the proliferation of dangerous drugs until June 30, 2022. Finally, they have demanded that the power be granted through an official correspondence, and not just through a verbal or electronic communication, and the President has acceded to such demand,” dagdag ni Sec. Panelo.
Kaya umaasa raw ang Palasyo na makikita ng mga kritiko na seryoso si Pangulong Duterte sa kanyang alok na trabaho kay VP Robredo.
Isang Cabinet position umano ang naturang designation ni VP Robredo.
“With this development, the Palace supposes that detractors and critics will finally see the sincerity of the President in making such offer to the Vice President and understand that the Chief Executive’s ultimate motivation in making the same is the welfare of the Filipino people, with the hope that the government be successful in combatting the atrocity caused by the use and trade of illegal narcotics, regardless of who greatly contributed to such success.”
