PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will invite Vice President Leni Robredo to future Cabinet meetings only when the agenda is on illegal drugs, Malacañang said on Thursday, November 14.
In a television interview, Panelo said the President had told him about Robredo’s limited access to Cabinet meetings.
“Sinabi niya nga — kasi sinabi ko, ’Imbitahan mo ba? — ‘Oo, iimbitahan ko basta tungkol sa kanyang drug operation,’ (I asked, ‘Will you invite her?’ He said, ‘Yes, I will invite her, if the issue is about drug operations),” the Palace official said.
“And she should be happy kasi if you remember, in the Cabinet, kapag nandoon ka, magtitiyaga ka roon hanggang madaling araw makikinig ka, eh hindi mo naman turf. Mas mabuti kung ang pag-uusapan ‘yung sa teritoryo mo nandoon ka, pero kung wala maniwala ka, she should be thankful,” he added.
(And she should be happy because if you remember, in the Cabinet, if you attend the meeting, you have to wait and listen until the wee hours of the morning. It’s better if you attend when the issues cover your turf. But if not, believe me, she should be thankful.)
Duterte on October 31 appointed Robredo as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Drugs (Icad), a position with a Cabinet rank, until the end of her term in 2022.
Panelo said Robredo should wait for Duterte’s invitation before attending a Cabinet meeting.
"Sabi ni Presidente (The President said), 'I will invite her myself,'" he said. (NASE/SunStar Philippines)