Palace: No need to appoint Robredo in Inter-Agency Task Force
June 19, 2020
THERE is no need to appoint Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo to the government’s inter-agency task force leading the country’s response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic as she has been “helping in her own ways,” Malacañang said on Friday.
Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. made the statement as he slammed former senator Antonio Trillanes 4th for “sowing intrigue and division” amid the Covid-19 crisis.
“Let us not make an issue when there is none. My remarks that Vice President Ma. Leonor ‘Leni’ Robredo could have offered solutions is simply a response to a specific question by media,” Roque said in a statement.
“We reiterate this to the Vice President: If she could offer solutions on how to address those who earlier tested negative for Covid-19 in Metro Manila but tested positive once they reached their respective provinces, I would be more than willing to submit her proposed solutions to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF),” he added.
Trillanes on Friday challenged Malacañang to appoint Robredo as chairman of the IATF after Roque told the Vice President to “offer solutions” instead of criticizing how the government handled travelers stranded by lockdowns.
The former senator said the Palace should let Robredo lead the IATF if it “really wants to flatten the curve.”
“Kung si Vice President Leni ang mamumuno at magpapatakbo ng IATF, mas marami itong magagawa at siguradong mas maganda ang kampanya natin laban sa Covid-19 (If Vice President Leni is leading and running the IATF, it can do more and our campaign against Covid-19 will be better),” Trillanes said.
Robredo’s office raised almost P60 million for pandemic response, including dormitories, safety gear and free shuttle rides for health workers; extraction and test kits for the coronavirus; and food and care packs for frontliners.
While he acknowledged Robredo’s contributions in the fight against Covid-19, Roque rejected Trillanes’ dare as he maintained that the former lawmaker was only twisting his statement to gain “political relevance.”
“Be that as it may, this does not diminish the fact we acknowledge the contributions of the Vice President in the fight against Covid-19. 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,” Roque said.
“We call on Mr. Trillanes not to twist my statement for the sake of political relevance and just do his share to alleviate the plight of our people amid this pandemic. It is only through our solidarity and cooperation can we heal and recover as one,” he added.
President Rodrigo Duterte himself commended Robredo’s efforts in helping Filipinos in need amid the Covid-19 crisis.
Duterte previously offered the top post in the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs to Robredo after she criticized the administration’s bloody drug war.
But Robredo’s stint as anti-drug czar ended after 19 days, when she was fired by Duterte.
