Cordial at first sight: Rody, Leni finally meet

MANILA, Philippines - They have yet to sit down to a formal meeting, but President Duterte broke the ice by offering Vice President Leni Robredo coconut juice during a brief encounter at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday.

Duterte was about to drink the juice in tetra pack when he tried to give it to Robredo, only to hold back and sip it, to the laughter of the Vice President and the people around them.

In his speech, Duterte continued with his lighthearted banter as he acknowledged the presence of Robredo, saying, “This is my first time to meet you personally. I would have preferred to be seated beside you, but the defense (secretary, Delfin Lorenzana) is there.”

Robredo described her first meeting with Duterte as “very cordial.” The two highest officials of the land were both at the turnover of command ceremonies between the acting Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief, Lt. Gen. Glorioso Miranda, and incoming military chief, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya at the military headquarters in Quezon City. 

Robredo shook hands with the President upon his arrival and again after Duterte finished his address to the troops, who accorded him full military honors as the new commander-in-chief.

Seated in the front row, the Vice President was between Lorenzana and Visaya, who was seated next to the President, Miranda and former president Fidel Ramos.

The meeting took place a day after the two took their oaths of office separately as the country’s President and Vice President, respectively.

Duterte was standard bearer of the PDP-Laban in the last May elections while Robredo was the Liberal Party’s candidate.

Robredo, who was all smiles after the meeting, said she asked Duterte if she could pay him a courtesy visit and the President replied, “anytime.”

Robredo and her camp have been seeking an official audience with the President but their requests have yet to be acted upon.

Earlier in the day, the camp of Robredo denied reports that the Vice President called Duterte “hard to get,” especially in setting up a meeting with her.

Special assistant to the President Christopher Go on Wednesday said Duterte and Robredo had been scheduled to meet last Friday but it did not push through.

Robredo was in Tokyo over the weekend upon the invitation of Philippine Ambassador to Japan Manuel Lopez for the National Day Celebration for the Filipino community there. 

Robredo was scheduled to go to her home province in Camarines Sur yesterday. 

According to her staff, Robredo, widow of the late interior secretary Jesse Robredo, was expected to take a bus to Naga City as she always did when she was still representative of the province’s third district. 

Her office has yet to release her activities in Naga as of yesterday afternoon.

Robredo said she was looking forward to meeting Duterte to personally assure him of her support. 

Duterte said earlier he was not keen on appointing Robredo to his Cabinet because of his friendship with former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., her closest rival in the vice presidential race.   – Giovanni Nilles, Janvic Mateo, Paolo Romero