Robredo’s appointment as drug czar a ‘ladder to the presidency’ – Palace

Malacañang said on Tuesday that President Rodrigo Duterte had effectively given Vice President Leni Robredo a “ladder to the presidency” by appointing her co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).

“This is her chance. This is her moment. She should accept it. Be in the moment. Help the Filipino people. Help this administration. Help herself and show to her colleagues that she can hack it, she can do it,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said on a Metro Manila cable news channel.

Panelo likened Robredo’s appointment to that of then-Vice President Joseph Estrada, who served as head of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission during the presidency of Fidel Ramos.

“If she succeeds, you know, as I said that could be a ladder to the presidency just like Erap when he was appointed as crime czar by Mr. Ramos,” Panelo said.

Robredo was appointed ICAD co-chairperson on October 31, days after she criticized the war on drugs as ineffective in curbing drug use.

Robredo had yet to accept the appointment, which was made public on Tuesday.

Panelo also advised Robredo not to listen to her colleagues "who don’t want her to succeed."

“She must have some ideas on her own because she says that the present drug war is ineffective. If you’re saying that, that means there must be a lot of things in her mind that she can do to make it effective. That is why precisely she was offered initially and she’s been appointed,” the Palace spokesman said.

He also expected Duterte and Robredo to have a “good working relationship” should she return to the Cabinet.

“She can do everything she wants with the President supporting her," Panelo said. "You must remember that the success of this Vice President will be the success of all of us."

Robredo served as Duterte's housing chief for five months before parting ways with the administration in December 2016 after being barred by the President from attending Cabinet meetings. — DVM, GMA News