Weeks after appointment, Duterte fires Robredo from ICAD
BUSAN, South Korea — President Duterte has fired Vice President Leni Robredo as co-chair of an interagency body on illegal drugs less than a month after she was appointed to the post.
"Yes," Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said in a text message Sunday night when asked to confirm a news agency's tweet stating that Duterte has axed Robredo as anti-illegal drugs czar.
Malacañang has not provided details of the dismissal as of press time.
Robredo's relief came just days after Duterte said he could not trust the vice president on classified information.
Duterte announced last October 28 that he would name Robredo as co-chair of the interagency committee on anti-illegal drugs (ICAD) in response to the vice president's statement that his war on illegal drugs has to be tweaked.
Robredo, the leader of the oppositon, had accepted the post, saying it would allow her to stop "unnecessarily killing."
Duterte had said Robredo's post would have a cabinet rank but backtracked after she met with representives of the United Nations, the United Nations, and the Catholic Church, institutions that have been critical of the anti-drug campaign.
Earlier this week, Duterte said he could not trust Robredo on confidential information but claimed he would not fire her.
Robredo then asked Duterte to tell her directly if he does not like her to remain as ICAD chair.
The comment did not sit well with Malacañang, which viewed it as "disrespectful" to the President.
"Just like accepting a position, resigning from it solely depends upon the person, and not with the appointing power. If one is not comfortable with it, or cannot stand the heat in the kitchen, the honorable thing to do is to leave the post quietly," Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement last Friday.
"It may not be civil nor ethical for Vice President Leni to taunt or dare the President in demanding the latter to tell her that he does not want her for the job she was appointed to or that he wants her to resign from her current post," he added.
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