Duterte was ‘insincere’ in appointing Robredo as anti-drug czar –HRW PHL

Human Rights Watch (HRW) Philippines on Monday accused President Rodrigo Duterte of not being “even remotely sincere” in his appointment of Vice President Leni Robredo as co-chairperson of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs, from which he fired her from after just 19 days.

“Was his offer of involving her in finding solutions to the situation of drugs in the Philippines ever really serious? He didn't even give Robredo the chance to show what she could do to make the campaign against drugs effective and, most important, non-violent and rights-respecting,” said HRW Asia Researcher Carlos Conde.

“By firing her on such ludicrous grounds, Duterte reveals he was never even remotely sincere, and exposes his game to appoint her as a total sham,” Conde added.

The vice president accepted Duterte’s offer for her to become co-chairperson of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) last November 6.

After Robredo accepted the position, former HRW Asia Deputy Director Phelim Kine tweeted that he was prepared to aid the vice president in carrying out her new duties. 

Duterte was irked by the tweet and threatened Robredo that he would slap Kine in front of her if she ever brought the human rights advocate to the Philippines.

“I suspect the prospect of arrest for inciting and instigating mass murder scared him off,” Kine tweeted Monday following the news that Duterte fired Robredo. 

Duterte sacked Robredo on Sunday over her alleged inaction on the drugs menace and her motive to “politicize” the problem. — Julia Mari Ornedo/DVM, GMA News