Manila: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte fired Vice-President and arch-critic Leni Robredo from her post as overseer of his deadly drug war on Sunday, an aide said, just days after calling her a “scatterbrain” not to be trusted with state secrets.
Robredo, 54, lasted less than three weeks steering Duterte’s signature anti-narcotics campaign, which she vowed to reform amid allegations police were committing crimes against humanity in killing thousands of drug suspects.
“The Vice-President resorted to unduly baiting international attention on the matter,” Duterte spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement announcing Robredo’s immediate dismissal.
“Essentially, what the Vice-President has done is to embarrass our country,” Panelo added.
Robredo’s spokesman said he was not aware of her receiving any formal dismissal notice, adding “as usual, announced to media without the courtesy of directly informing (her)”.
The decision came after Duterte and his political allies publicly criticised Robredo, who had vowed to end “senseless” killing in the campaign after her appointment.
Critics were sceptical of the appointment from the start, questioning whether it was a trap to tarnish Robredo or simply an impulsive response to her repeated criticism of his drug war.
Amnesty International said Rodredo’s proposals to reform the initiative were never given a real chance.
“In only a few weeks, Vice-President Robredo was able to confront the government with the staggering scale of its own crimes,” Executive Director Butch Olano said in a statement. “That is why she was sacked,” he added.
Duterte took issue on Tuesday with Robredo’s meeting US Embassy and United Nations drug experts.
“I do not trust her,” Duterte told reporters, calling her a “scatterbrain” who could inadvertently share sensitive security matters with outsiders.
After the public tongue-lashing, Robredo said the president should fire her if she didn’t have his trust.
Robredo, who was elected separately from the president, surprisingly accepted on November 6 Duterte’s offer of the post despite warning it was a trap. — AFP
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