V-P resigns, to fight Duterte’s war on drugs

Manila, Dec. 5: Philippines VicePresident Leni Robredo resigned from the Cabinet on Monday but vowed to lead the Opposition and challenge policies of President Rodrigo Duterte, including his deadly war on drugs and moves to reinstate the death penalty.

Robredo, who will remain Vice-President, had clashed frequently with Mr Duterte and decided to resign from her ministerial role after being instructed via a text message tostay away from his cabinet meetings.

She was elected VicePresident in May in a separate contestand was not Mr Duterte’s running mate.

Ms Robredo renewed her warning of a plot taking shape to remove her from the number two post and said the instruction from Mr Duterte was tantamount to being sacked.

“If you are not being allowed to attend Cabinet meetingsanymore, what does that mean?” she said at a news conference.

“I will be an opposition leader. I will oppose policies thatwill be detrimental to the people.” Those includes the death penalty, lowering the age of criminal liability and alleged extrajudicial killings as part of the crackdown on drugs, If you are not being allowed to attend Cabinet meetings anymore, what does that mean? I will be an opposition leader and oppose policies that will be detrimental

Leni Robredo — Phillipines Vice-President which has killed more than 2,000 people.

Mr Duterte accepted Ms Robredo’s resignation as housing secretary “with a heavy heart”, his spokesman Ernesto Abella said.

Ms Robredo, 52, a former lawyer and social activist, won the vice presidential election in May by a narrow margin, defeating Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of the late dictator overthrown in a 1986 revolt.

Mr Marcos, has appealed to a tribunal of the Supreme Court for a recount, which Ms Robredo said she was confident of winning.