Palace not surprised with Robredo’s comments after firing from ICAD

Malacañang on Wednesday said it was no longer surprised by Vice President Leni Robredo’s veiled comment following her removal as co-chairperson of the government body overseeing the war on drugs.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo issued the statement after Robredo said in a speech on Wednesday that true leaders should perform well despite having an “uninspiring boss.”

“Her tirades and threats following her unceremonious but deserved firing is unsurprising. There is no greater fury than a woman scorned. There is a Spanish word that aptly describes her fall from grace: Merece [deserve],” Panelo said.

Robredo was sacked by President Rodrigo Duterte, whom she has had disagreements with over a number of issues, from her post as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs on Sunday.

Panelo had said Robredo "had it coming" due to the supposed missteps she took when she talked to foreign entities critical of the drug war and her "dare" for the President to strip her of the position after Duterte declared he could not trust her with confidential information.

She was fired just 19 days into the job.

“In the tunnel of darkness where she strayed aimlessly after a 100 percent rejection of her endorsed Ocho Derecho [senatorial candidates], she was given a lamp by President Duterte to illuminate her way, but she carelessly broke it and she is back to where she was, groping with a blind vision,” Panelo said.

He also said Duterte continued to “perform well” in his job based on surveys despite Robredo’s “non-performance and obstructionist perorations“ against the President.

“In contrast, the rambunctious critic has consistently rated very low in the surveys,” Panelo said.

Robredo has said her dismissal from ICAD would not prevent her from pursuing the fight against illegal drugs. She also vowed to publicize her discoveries and recommendations in due time.

During her brief stint as ICAD co-chair, Robredo met with officials of government agencies, organizations involved in community-based rehabilitation of drug dependents, representatives of United States Embassy in Manila and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and visited drug-infested communities to discuss ways to address the drug menace.  —NB, GMA News