Robredo willing to present drug war report to lawmakers

MANILA, Philippines — Amid criticisms from President Duterte’s allies, Vice President Leni Robredo yesterday said she is willing to present her drug war report before lawmakers to prove that this was not a “mere political attack.”

“I would really love to be invited so I can have an official platform to present my report. Because if I will be invited by the House of Representatives, by the Senate, I will be given the opportunity to explain it,” Robredo said over radio station dzXL.

The Vice President said most of those who criticized her 40-page report on the drug war probably have not read it.

“(The critics) believe in propaganda, they believe this is just political attack, they believe I’m speaking ill of the President, but if you look at the report it’s the contrary,” Robredo said.

“I’m not just willing, I’m praying that I will be invited to prove that their accusations against me are baseless,” she added.

The Vice President released on Jan. 6 her report on her 18-day stint as co-chairperson of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-illegal Drugs (ICAD).

Duterte downplayed Robredo’s report and called the opposition leader a “colossal blunder.”

The Vice President, in her report, called the government’s war on drugs a “massive failure” as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the lead agency of the campaign, was able to seize only one percent of the total drug supply in the country.

She also said she would be writing a letter to Duterte, which will contain some “unverified” information, including reports of extrajudicial killings, that she was able to obtain during her term in ICAD.

“All the data (of the report) came from the government, from the PNP (Philippine National Police), PDEA. I didn’t include information which didn’t come from the government,” she said.

“For example, extrajudicial killings. I obtained a lot of information on EJKs, but if you look at my report, there’s no mention of EJKs there. I didn’t include these data because these are unofficial. All these information I received will be included in my private letter to the President,” she said.

Among the recommendations made by Robredo in her report were the scrapping of Oplan Tokhang, transfer of the ICAD chairmanship from PDEA to the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and the inclusion of private sector/civil society groups in the campaign.

She also urged government agencies to “reconcile” their data on the number of drug users in the country, noting that different figures are being used by the ICAD, DDB and Duterte.

Reimposition of death penalty

Meanwhile, senators pushing for the reimposition of the death penalty for those guilty of drug trafficking will renew their efforts to have the controversial measure approved when Congress resumes session next week amid debates on the effectiveness of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa said he and his colleagues who have proposed to restore the death penalty for drug trafficking have agreed to combine their efforts to have the bill passed as Malacañang and Robredo’s camp continue to trade barbs over the latter’s criticisms on the government’s ongoing campaign against illegal drugs.

Dela Rosa added that he would push for new laws to strengthen the prevention side of the campaign, like mandating the rehabilitation of self-confessed or certified drug addicts.

“I don’t know why (the death penalty bills) are not moving (in the Senate). I will pound on it this year,” Dela Rosa told radio station dzBB in Filipino.

He disclosed that he and Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and Senators Christopher Go, Panfilo Lacson, Imee Marcos, Manny Pacquiao and other proponents in the chamber have agreed to press for a hearing on their bills.

Other senators backing the revival of the death penalty are Pia Cayetano, Sherwin Gatchalian, Lito Lapid, Aquilino Pimentel III, Bong Revilla, Francis Tolentino and Cynthia Villar.

Opposed to it are Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto and Senators Nancy Binay, Grace Poe and Richard Gordon. – With Paolo Romero, Delon Porcalla