Roque says Robredo chose politics over service

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque says the reason for the conflict between President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo is that the latter chose politics over serving Filipinos.

On GMA News' online show The Mangahas Interviews, Roque told journalist Malou Mangahas that the Vice President was given the opportunity to serve, having been given the housing portfolio—and, therefore, a place in the Cabinet—by Duterte in 2016.

"Pero, nagdesisyon si VP na mas importante sa kanya 'yung papel na maging oposisyon. In other words, mas importante 'yung politika sa kanya kaysa 'yung paninilbihan," he said in an excerpt of the interview that was shown on Ian Cruz's report on 24 Oras.

Duterte appointed Robredo as head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) in July 2016, after balking at giving her a Cabinet post due to his friendship with losing vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos.

Robredo quit the post five months later, after receiving a text message from then-Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco Jr. that Duterte wanted her to "desist" from attending all Cabinet meetings.

Both sides cited the differences between the two top officials on several issues, including extrajudicial killings and allowing the dictator Ferdinand Marcos to be buried in the heroes' cemetery.

Three years later, amid Robredo's criticism of his bloody drugs war, Duterte appointed her to co-head the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), only to fire her less than three weeks later

Robredo has focused on reaching out directly to Filipinos in need through the Office of the Vice President's anti-poverty Angat Buhay program and by providing aid to victims of natural disasters and COVID-19.

She has also not shied away from criticizing the President over his continuing war on drugs, his handling of the pandemic, and his misogynistic and sexist remarks.

Duterte, in turn, has not stopped taking jabs at Robredo during his weekly late-night briefings.

Last week, Robredo told Mangahas that Duterte's latest tirade against her, during which he told her to take a basket and go shopping for vaccines, as well as "mamatay ka na," was not presidential.

"Ang unang dating sa akin parang hindi pangulo ang nagsasalita. Pangalawa, sobrang pikon," she said, stressing that people should be allowed to make suggestions.

In The Mangahas Interviews, Roque also claimed that the Vice President's criticism of the Duterte administration is part of her politicking ahead of the 2022 elections. "So ngayon po ang nangyayari kasi, eleksyon na. So ang tingin ng tao lahat ng sinasabi ni VP Leni, na hindi naman constructive or phrased in a way na talagang tumitira sa administrasyon, is of course part of politicking," he said. — BM, GMA News