Leni slams Rody: Naga not ‘hotbed’ of illegal drugs

Calling it a huge insult to the people of Naga City, Vice President Leni Robredo yesterday slammed President Duterte for claiming that her hometown is a hotbed of illegal drugs.

Speaking to reporters after the commemoration of the sixth death anniversary of her husband Jesse, Robredo said the people of Naga will not take the accusation made by the President sitting down.

“We are protesting this in the strongest terms,” she said in Filipino. “It is not true. If it were true, we would bow down and apologize. But because it is not true, we will really object because it is an insult to the people of Naga.”

The Vice President said there is no basis to the claim made by the President, citing a statement made by the regional director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), who denied Duterte’s claim that the city is a hotbed of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu).

“Look at the records if we are at least in the top 10 cities that have a problem with illegal drugs. We are not there, so for me there is no basis. Maybe it is better to ask him for his basis,” she said, referring to Duterte.

Robredo said the city council has come up with a “resolution of indignation” condemning what she described is an attempt to stain the reputation of the city, which was headed by her husband for almost two decades.

She urged critics to focus their attacks on her and not her hometown.

“If it’s me, no one else will be affected. But if you say Naga – Naga is all of us,” she said.

The Vice President said Naga Mayor John Bongat and her late husband have worked hard to improve services in the city.

LGU reacts

For his part, Bongat said he wanted to know when his locality became a hotbed of shabu, responding to Duterte’s statement.

“I want to know the timeframe (and why only now that this came out),” Bongat said Friday morning.

He said he had been councilor from 2001 to 2010 under Jesse Robredo and mayor starting in 2010 up to the present, but could not recall the widespread use and trade of shabu in Naga.

“For almost 20 years, never was Naga branded a hotbed of shabu,” Bongat said, adding that he has been working closely with PDEA, Philippine National Police (PNP), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and National Bureau of Investigation.

“I want to know with the PDEA and the (PNP) how come this happened that Naga has been branded as such,” he said.

Bongat watched Duterte on TV talking about the Vice President when the Chief Executive suddenly shifted to Naga and said the city was a hotbed of the illegal drugs.

“We know his statement about the Vice President and that’s it,” he added. “It’s better to work together and what must be done to effectively address the problem of illegal drugs.”

He said the city government of Naga has various programs to address the problem of illegal drugs through the Dangerous Drugs Board, such as prosecution, enforcement and advocacy. –