Tight security for VP, family

Vice President Leni Robredo and her family have been given tighter security amid threats that come along with her job as the government’s new leader on the campaign against illegal drugs.

Vice presidential spokesman

Barry Gutierrez disclosed this after Robredo’s appointment as co-chair of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).

“As soon as she actually accepted, we stepped up iyong kaniyang personal security at iyong security ng kaniyang pamilya at ng sa opisina (As soon as she actually accepted [the post], her personal security and security of her family and office have been stepped up),” Gutierrez said.

Robredo’s spokesman, however, declined to give further details due to the sensitivity of the matter.

“Siyempre, wala akong puwedeng i-reveal sa security operations (Of course, I can’t reveal

anything on security operations),” he said. The lady official has been meeting with local and international organizations as she moves to improve the administration’s war on drugs.

On Thursday, Robredo sat down with the ICAD’s law enforcement cluster. She wants law enforcers to be actively involved in crafting new strategies in the fight against illegal drugs.

As the country’s drug czar, Robredo supervises the anti-drug initiatives together with her co-chair, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency

(PDEA) Director-General Aaron Aquino.

“She is now tasked with leading the government’s anti-drug efforts. Obviously, there are threats,” Gutierrez said. More funds for drug war

Meanwhile, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said on Thursday that he supports the request of Robredo for additional budget in the fight against drugs.

“Ako, as a legislator, sabi ko full support ako kung ano ang makatutulong. Basta ang hangarin ay masugpo ang droga. Ngayon, 82 percent ang sangayon sa war on drugs. Malay mo maging 90 percent, 100 percent. Tutulong po kami. Basta interes ng Pilipino at wala nang dadagdag pa sa mga biktima ng droga (As a legislator, I fully support whatever is needed to help as long as the objective is to solve the illegal drugs problem. A survey showed that 82 percent of those polled favor the current war against drugs. Who knows later surveys will show a 90 percent or 100 percent approval rating? As long as it’s for the interest of Filipinos and there will no longer be victims of drugs),’’ Go said. (With a report from Mario B. Casayuran)