Robredo can 'do as she pleases' on 'drug war' findings — Palace

She was fired for incompetence, spokesman also claims

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo can share her findings and recommendations on the drug situation in the country even after being fired as "anti-drug czar", Malacañang said Monday.

The vice president said she will be releasing a report to the public about her findings during her weeks-long stint as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).

"Sa mga susunod na araw magbibigay ako ng ulat sa bayan. Sasabihin ko ang aking natuklasan at ang aking mga rekomendasyon. Makakaasa kayo: kahit tinanggalan ako ng posisyon, hinding-hindi nila kayang tanggalin ang aking determinasyon," Robredo said Monday.

(In the following days I will release a report to the public. I will state my findings and my recommendations. You can count on it: even though I was removed from my position, they will never be able to breal my resolve.)

Robredo said she will continue her work in solving the country's drug problem.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, meanwhile, said Robredo can do what she pleases.

"She (Robredo) can do as she pleases. Anything that she claims she has discovered was accessed to her," Panelo said in a statement.

The Malacañang spokesman added that Robredo was designated in the ICAD to assist in the campaign against illegal drugs and to show her that everything in the campaign was transparent.

"She was fired for incompetence, in addition to her failure to introduce new measures she claimed she had, as against what she claimed to be ineffective, method in fighting the drug menace," Panelo said.

Contrary to Panelo's remarks that Robredo did not contribute new measures to the drug war, the Philippine National Police acknowledged the vice president's ideas on addressing the drug problem.

Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, PNP spokesperson, cited Robredo's suggestion of looking at the drug problem as a health issue.

"Even though Vice President Leni Robredo is not with us anymore, we gained many ideas from her on how to improve the campaign such as her advocacy to rehabilitate drug users," Banac said in a press briefing.

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