THE PHILIPPINE STAR

. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30,2019 '

..- 'Leni should shut up after

refusing drug czil offer'
By ALEXIS RoilERO
Vice President Leni Robredo should
shut up if she will not accept President
Duierta's offer to lead the war on drugs,
VaJacafrang said yesterday as it tou ted ihe
sains of the narcotics crackdown.
" Dut"rt"'r p.posal for Robredo is an op-
portuni l'y to prove he r metd e as opposition
head, piesi<ientiaJ spokesman Saivador
Panelo said.
"The ball is in her court. If I were in her
ulace. I would acceot it," Panelo said.
' Rob."do, leader'of the opposition, has
ca.lled for a review of the drug war, saying
somethins is not workins if Lhe number
of drug uiers increased dFspite the crack-
down.
Robredo's remhrks did not sit well with
Duterte, who responded by saying that he
was ready to appoirt her as drug czar to
see if she car solve the narcotics problem
in six months.
Panelo disputed Robredo's claim that
the drug war is not working.
He iaid the narcotics crackdown
prompted millions of drug users to sur-
iender, dismantled drug factories and
established rehabilitation centers.
Panelo said Dutertg as chief executive
and enforcer of the law can delegate his
powers, create a task force and appoint
pmple to run it.
' Ae said the President is serious about
namins Robredo as drus czat
Speiker Alan PetervCayetano chal-
lenqed Rob red o to offer a better al tema tive
to the approach of Duterte in resolving the
drugproblem irstead of criticizing the war
on narcotics.
"Make your proposal dear. Define your
health-based approach," Cayetano told

opportuni iy," Panelo said.

' ;\sked t6 react io the possibili g that Ro
bredo may reiect the offer, Panelo replied,
"O,eh di wala.Tumahimik na langsiya(ljen war is a failure.
nothing. She shofld iust shut up)." Cayetano urged Robredo to "be careful
with her words,
\ roqq€ -,s-"
especially she's the
country's number
two highest offi-
cleu.
Sen. Ronald
dela Rosa opposed
the idea of allow-
ing Robredo to
lead the drug war,
saying he does not
want the countrv
tobecome anothdr
'
Mexico, where the
narcotics problem
hasbeenrampant,
He said'the
adminiStration's
campaign agairlst
drugs should not
be tumed over to
someone who has
no oroven ttack
rec6rd in fight-
ing cime. - With
Edith Regalado,
Edu Punay, Ceci-
lle Suerte Felipe