Palace defends Leni disinvite to vin d’honneur

MANILA, Philippines - She’s not welcome.

Malacañang defended yesterday its decision to disinvite Vice President Leni Robredo during the first diplomatic reception of the Duterte administration at the Palace.

“Are you going to invite someone you’re not on good terms with? That’s difficult. It’s quite awkward,” Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar told reporters.

“It’s this simple, it is the prerogative of the President to invite who he wants… not those he does not like,” he said. “It is his house right now, Malacañang.”

Late Wednesday, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella justified the decision by saying Duterte opted for a simple reception for the diplomatic community, his first as President, and so the Palace had to trim down the guest list.

“The vin d’honneur is a New Year’s reception traditionally hosted by the President and co-hosted by high ranking government officials, and which past presidents also attend. This year, in keeping with the President’s dictum of simplicity, the event’s co-hosts were limited only to the Cabinet secretaries, Senate President and Speaker,” Abella said, apparently downplaying the absence of Robredo at the event.

“It was a simple and meaningful event. The President expressed to the ambassadors and foreign officials present the value he placed on friendship and relationship with leaders and nations,” he said. “It was an auspicious start to what should be a progressive and opportunity-filled year.”

Robredo’s office said the Vice President was invited to the vin d’honneur via email last Dec. 28 but this was taken back through a phone call on Jan. 4.

The Vice President resigned from Duterte’s Cabinet last December after being told to desist from attending Cabinet meetings.

Duterte also tagged Robredo as among those seeking to oust him from office, an accusation the Vice President has strongly denied.

Among other issues, Robredo, who ran and won under the Liberal Party, had disagreed with Duterte’s decision to allow the burial of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Marcos’ son and ally of Duterte, former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., lost to Robredo in the last elections but claimed he was cheated and filed a protest.