Former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima slammed Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo for questioning Vice President Leni Robredo’s drug war report and called the government ‘a failure’ for the administration’s unsuccessful drug war.
De Lima criticized Panelo, which was according to her, did not participate in any ground operations of the Oplan Tokhang.
“It is hypocritical of Panelo to dismiss VP Leni because she didn’t take part in any ground operations during her 18-day stint when not even the President did so in all of his three and a half years in office,” she said in a phone interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
“Sa sobrang pamumulitika at porma, winalang bahala ang mga datos. Sa pagsantabi sa katotohanan ng war on drugs, panalo ang mga drug lords, talo ang taumbayan. A failure indeed,” she added.
De Lima also asserted that Robredo’s drug report was a ‘deep grasp of the real drug situation’.
“Her proposed directions henceforth are well thought of and doable. Credible and convincing report. VP Leni certainly knows what she’s talking about,” she said.
In November 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte has given Robredo the position as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) after disapproving his approach to the war on drugs campaign.
