Trillanes dares Palace to appoint Robredo as IATF chief

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Friday challenged Malacañang to name Vice President Leni Robredo as head of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

“If Malacanang really wants to flatten the curve, then it should appoint Vice President Robredo to be the IATF chair,” Trillanes said in a statement.

The IATF is currently being chaired by Health Secretary Franciso Duque III, who is among the officials being investigated by the Ombudsman for alleged irregularities in COVID-19 response.

Trillanes’ push for Robredo, however, was promptly dismissed by Malacañang.

“She is helping in her own ways and if her intentions are genuine, there is no need for her to be appointed or designated in the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), as suggested by the former senator,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

Roque added that the Palace recognizes the contributions of the Vice President to COVID-19 response.

‘Offer solutions’

Earlier this week, Roque was quoted in an interview as saying that he wishes Robredo could "actually offer solutions" to the pandemic instead of hurling criticisms against the administration.

A staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, Trillanes said Roque seems uninformed of the actions being taken by Robredo to help amid the pandemic.

"Bulag ba o nagbubulag-bulagan itong si Roque sa mga nagawa at kasalukuyang ginagawang pagtulong ng Bise Presidente sa ating mga kababayan sa harap ng pandemyang ito?" Trillanes said.

“Kung ang amo ni Roque na si Duterte ay patulog-tulog, si Vice President Leni ay halos wala nang pahinga sa paghahanap ng mga paraan kung paano makatutulong sa mga Pilipino,” he added.

In April, then presidential anti-corruption commissioner Manuelito Luna said Robredo should be investigated by the National Bureau of Investigation because her relief drives allegedly undermined the COVID-19 response efforts of the national government.

Since the onset of the pandemic, Robredo launched a fund drive for the purchase of personal protective equipment, distribution of food for health workers, as well as provision of shuttle service to frontliners.

Luna ended up being sacked by Duterte who praised Robredo's efforts to solicit aid.

Robredo had been part of the Cabinet for five months as the housing czar, but she stepped down in December 2016 as she claimed that she received a text message from then-Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco Jr. stating that Duterte wanted her to "desist from attending all Cabinet meetings."

Last November, she was appointed by Duterte as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs but was fired just 19 days after she assumed the post.  — KBK/RSJ, GMA News