Robredo to speak ‘in a louder voice’ in political opposition
FOLLOWING HER resignation from President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s Cabinet on Monday, Dec. 5, Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo in a news conference that afternoon said she will oppose, “in a louder voice,” the policies of his administration that she finds “detrimental” to the Filipino people.
But Ms. Robredo was qualified in her remarks about assuming the leadership of the political opposition, despite her break from the Duterte administration — even as Mr. Duterte was also speaking at a Christmas ceremony that afternoon about “yung mga nasa [the] opposition,” advising them, “Maghintay lang kayo [ You just wait]. You’ve had your days.”
‘DISSENT’
In a press conference held in her office at Quezon City Reception Hall, Ms. Robredo said her office “will continue to support policies and actions from this administration if we believe these are right and just and will benefit the last, the least, and the lost.”
“If they don’t, we will not hesitate to dissent,” she also said.
Ms. Robredo recalled the circumstances leading to her resignation, saying that on Friday afternoon, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco, Jr. called her chief of staff, Undersecretary Philip Francisco U. Dy, to inform him of Mr. Duterte’s order for her not to attend the Cabinet meetings “until further notice.”
The Vice- President said she asked for a formal letter from the Palace to that effect, but what she got was a text message from Mr. Evasco on Saturday telling her “to desist from attending Cabinet meeting starting Monday, Dec. 5,” where she was supposed to present an update on rehabilitation projects in areas hit by supertyphoon Yolanda in 2013. Malacañang had listed this item in its agenda that day. Ms. Robredo said she also sent a text message to Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go “about three or four times” on Sunday to confirm Mr. Duterte’s instructions. There was no reply from Mr. Go who used to respond to her messages, Ms. Robredo said.
She remembered being explicitly advised, at length, by Mr. Evasco from attending Monday’s Cabinet meeting “so as not to aggravate the situation.”
“Kung ang instruction ay from Monday ay hindi na ako pwedeng mag- attend ng Cabinet meeting, parang fina- fire na ako [it’s like I’m already being fired]. How will I be able to function kung hindi ako mag-aattend ng Cabinet meetings [If I don’t attend Cabinet meetings]?” Ms. Robredo said:
“The handwriting on the wall was already very clear,” she added — with