From calling it “the right step,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo now calls Vice President Leni Robredo’s meeting with officials from the United States (US) and United Nations (UN) as “missteps” that led to her ouster as co-chair of the government’s anti-illegal drug efforts. (See VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Panelo negates Duterte, now says Robredo had ‘access to everything’ in ICAD)
Within a week after she accepted her appointment as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), Robredo met with representatives of the UN Office of Drugs and Crime, and members of the US government’s anti-illegal drugs law enforcement agencies.
President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Robredo as ICAD co-chair after the latter publicly said the government’s drug war was “obviously not working.” (See VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Robredo contradicts LP spox; accepts offer to lead efforts vs. illegal drugs)
Watch how the spokesman flip-flopped.
VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Panelo backtracks on stance about Robredo meeting with US, UN officials from VERA Files on Vimeo.
Sources
Presidential Communications Operations Office, Media Interview with Presidential Spokesperson and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Secretary Salvador Panelo at the Haeundae Sunset Business Hotel in Busan, South Korea, Nov. 25, 2019
CNN Philippines, The Source: Sal Panelo, Nov. 14, 2019
ABS-CBN News, UN body, Robredo meet over new VP-led anti-drug campaign, Nov. 11, 2019
Rappler.com, Robredo, U.N. tackle ‘best practices’ on health-based approach vs drugs, Nov. 11, 2019
GMA News Online, Leni Robredo meets with representatives from UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Nov. 11, 2019
Vice President Leni Robredo official Facebook page, Vice President Leni Robredo meets with members of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs, Nov. 8, 2019
Vice President Leni Robredo official Facebook page, Vice President Leni Robredo holds media briefing, Nov. 14, 2019
Vice President Leni Robredo official Facebook page, LOOK: Nakipagpulong kaninang umaga si VP Leni Robredo sa mga kasapi ng US Embassy, Nov. 13, 2019
Robredo’s visits to local stakeholders
- Vice President Leni Robredo official Facebook page, Meeting with QCADAAC and BADAC, Nov. 22, 2019
- Vice President Leni Robredo official Facebook page, 3rd Anniversary of Bahay Pangarap in Dinalupihan, Nov. 21, 2019
- Vice President Leni Robredo official Facebook page, Meeting with Dangerous Drugs Board, Nov. 20, 2019
- Vice President Leni Robredo official Facebook page, Market 3, Navotas City residents, Nov. 20, 2019
- Vice President Leni Robredo official Facebook page, Dialogue and Meeting with DOH officials, Nov. 18, 2019
- Vice President Leni Robredo official Facebook page, Meeting with Naga City CADAC and DDB, Nov. 15, 2019
- Vice President Leni Robredo official Facebook page, Meeting with COBRA, Nov. 11, 2019
(Guided by the code of principles of the International
Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, VERA Files tracks the false claims, flip-flops, misleading statements of public officials and figures, and debunks them with factual evidence.
Find out more about this initiative and our methodology.)
