黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The request for the data on high-value targets (HVTs) stems from her mandate as the anti-drug czar, Vice President Leni Robredo reminded the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

According to Robredo, the co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), she needs to know how many and who are the HVTs so that she can assure an effective implementation of the anti-drug campaign.

鈥淜aya nga binalikan ko 鈥榶ong functions ng ICAD [鈥�] under Executive Order No. 15, ang number one function niya, ensure the effective conduct of anti-illegal drug operations and arrest of high value drug personalities,鈥� she said on DZXL鈥檚 radio program on Sunday.

鈥淚to ang tanong ko, papaano ko ma-ensure nang hindi ko nga alam?鈥� she asked.聽 鈥淧apaano ko 鈥榯o mae-ensure na nahuhuli 鈥榶ong mga high-value targets kung hindi ko nga alam kung ilan ba ang high-value targets, ano ba 鈥榶ong status sa pag-huli sa high-value targets, ano ba 鈥榶ong available na impormasyon?鈥�

(I went back to the ICAD鈥檚 functions, under Executive Order No. 15, the number one function is to ensure the effective conduct of anti-illegal drug operations and arrest of high value drug personalities. My question is, how can I ensure if I don鈥檛 know the data? How can I ensure that high-value targets will be arrested if I do not know how many they are, if what their status are, and what are the available information?)

Last Friday, PDEA chief Director General Aaron Aquino 鈥� Robredo鈥檚 co-chair in the ICAD 鈥� questioned why the Vice President needed such information, saying it is well outside of their mandate.

READ: PDEA chief asks Leni Robredo: 鈥榃hy need a list of high-value drug targets?鈥�

鈥淢eron atang hinihingi na lists. One example 鈥榶ung list ng high-value targets. So I think, nag-iisip naman ako bakit kailangan niya in the first place. Wala naman sa mandates namin 鈥榶un, na kailangan kumuha ng listahan ng high-value targets,鈥� he said in a phone interview.

(She was asking for the lists. For example, the list of high-value targets. So I think why would she need it in the first place? It is not in our mandate that we should get a list of high-value targets.)

Aquino eventually backtracked, saying that he can provide Robredo a list but only in a closed door meeting.

READ: PDEA chief willing to divulge list of high-value drug targets to Robredo

Nevertheless, Robredo still scored her counterpart for airing these things to the media, when she had never told the media about it.聽 She insists that the request for a copy was sent through a private letter addressed to Aquino.

鈥淎lam mo sinasabi nila, na bakit ko sinasabi sa media.聽 Actually 鈥榶ong pag-hingi ko, private na communication 鈥榶on ng opisina namin, kay Chairman Aquino, dapat sana sinagot na lang nila na ayaw nilang ibigay pero sinabi sa media,鈥� she noted.

鈥淓h sino yung nagpupunta sa media? Hindi namin hiningi, na ginagamit 鈥榶ong media, 鈥榶ong listahan ng high value targets [鈥�] imbis na sagutin tayo, sagutin 鈥榶ong ating sulat sumagot sa media,鈥� she added.

(You know, they are telling me, why am I saying these things to the media? Actually my request was made through my offices鈥� private communication to Chairman Aquino, they should have just answered us if they do not want to give information but they chose to release it to the media. But who went to the media? We did not ask for the list of the high-value targets through the media, but instead of answering us, answering our letter, their option was to go to the media.)

Robredo and Aquino have not had the smoothest of working relationships.聽 Even before Robredo accepted the offer, Aquino already deemed the Vice President to fail in addressing the drug problem due to lack of experience in law enforcement.

He also backtracked days after, saying that PDEA would be willing to work with Robredo.

During the press briefing that followed Robredo鈥檚 first ICAD meeting, Aquino admitted feeling awkward with the Vice President seating beside her 鈥� although he justified his earlier remarks, and contradicted Robredo鈥檚 opinion on the possible scrapping of Oplan Tokhang.

Aquino, a former police officer, has been supportive of President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 anti-drug program while Robredo hails from the opposition, particularly the Liberal Party.

RELATED STORIES

PDEA chief thinks Robredo 鈥榳ill fail鈥� as drug czar

PDEA鈥檚 Aquino dares Robredo to join drug stings; VP calls it

Robredo, PDEA chief Aquino disagree on scrapping 鈥楾okhang鈥�

Edited by JE