Robredo writes Duterte: 'Make my role clear so I can work'

CLARITY NEEDED. Vice President Leni Robredo writes to President Rodrigo Duterte to clarify her mandate as co-chair of the ICAD. OVP file photo

FACING the threat of being axed from a highly politicized and ambiguous post, Vice President Leni Robredo wrote President Rodrigo Duterte a letter to clarify her mandate as Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) co-chair so that she could contribute to his landmark anti-illegal drugs campaign.

Robredo made the announcement facing reporters Wednesday, November 20, after meeting with officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) at their headquarters.

"I wrote to the President even before the presscon (press conference). I said he needs to clarify the mandate," Robredo said in Filipino, referring to the late-night press conference held by Duterte in Malacañang on Tuesday where he said that he did not trust Robredo.

Why this matters: The letter was the culmination of the Vice President's frustration over her vague mandate as ICAD co-chair. As the sole appointing authority, only Duterte could grant Robredo the powers and limitations of the position.

Since her appointment, Robredo has been second-guessing what she could and could not do. After she was earlier seemingly given weeks to overhaul the campaign, the President threatened he would fire Robredo if she shared "confidential information" to foreign entities.