Duterte's spox hits Poe for flip-flopping on choice of anti-crime czar

The spokesman of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday criticized Sen. Grace Poe for saying she will appoint the mayor as her anti-crime czar if she emerges victorious in the presidential elections.

Peter Laviña in a statement said Poe virtually admitted that her administration would be relying heavily on flip-flopping, compromise, and accommodation to survive.

"Senator Poe just validated that she is indeed a confused leader," Laviña said.

"But what is more alarming is her tendency to flip-flop and her willingness to accommodate and compromise."

Laviña issued the statement after Poe told reporters she would name Duterte as her anti-crime czar.

Poe made the statement in reaction to Duterte's pronouncement that he would consider the senator as his social welfare or tourism secretary.

Her statement however, raised eyebrows as during the Cebu City leg of the Comelec-sponsored presidential debates, she already said she would appoint retired Marine colonel Ariel Querubin as her anti-crime czar.

Querubin, a medal of valor awardee, is currently working as a security consultant of San Miguel Corporation, which is owned by business tycoon Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr.

The Nationalist People's Coalition, a party founded in the early 90s to advance Cojuangco's unsuccessful presidential campaign in 1992, has adopted Poe as its presidential candidate.

Poe earlier criticized Duterte's style of solving criminality.

"After hitting Rody's high handed approach to crime, she is now trying to imitate and up the timeframe of Rody," Laviña said.

Laviña said Poe's contradictions are a confirmation of "what we already know about her."

"She lacks the strong will and the conviction that we need this time," he said. "We just heard her swallow the things that she's spoken -- thoughtlessly, offering things just so she can accommodate and compromise."

Poe's agenda: Consistent, decisive

Sought out by GMA News Online for a comment, Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian defended Poe, saying that the senator's peace and order platform was "consistent, decisive and detailed" contrary to what Duterte's spokesman said.

"Contrary to the statements of spokesman Peter Lavina, Sen. Poe's peace and order agenda is consistent, decisive and detailed.

"She has clearly defined that upon winning the Presidency, she will see to it that in one month our people will feel secure and safe with government moving rapidly to quell lingering fears of lawlessness. She will achieve this by immediately building equipment capacity in our police force. She will also appoint people who will implement her peace and order solutions, among them are Col. Querubin and Mayor Duterte.

"We all know that the peace and order issues of the country are vast and numerous, hence she will need deputies that will work hand in hand to solve these problems rapidly," Gatchalian said.

He said from the beginning, Poe's governance platform revolves around inclusiveness.

"Filipinos who can contribute to nation building should be allowed to help even if they are from different political sides. Senator Poe's plans are also detailed. It can be recalled that it was Senator Poe who said that the drugs menace should be declared a national security threat so that both the police and military forces can be summoned to go after these syndicates. This plan has been considered so innovative that recently, even Mayor Duterte said he will do the same," Gatchalian said. — APG, GMA News