Duterte Administration Has no Time for Alleged Oust Robredo Plot — Alvarez

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Monday categorically stated that the Duterte administration would not bother to involve itself in any “plot” to oust Vice President Leni Robredo if only for the simple reason that it has more pressing matters that needs its full attention.

In a press briefing at the House of Representatives, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) stalwart said that with so many problems besetting the country, President Rodrigo Duterte would not even bother to think, much less involve himself, over such absurd allegations.

“Bakit naman sa dami ng problema ng bansa natin pag-aabalahan pa yan ng Presidente. Eh yung listahan nung involved sa drugs ganyan na kakapal — andami. Yun pa lang ang hirap nang ayusin tapos gagawa ka pa ng ano, plot dyan, kung ano-ano (Why would the President bother with the alleged oust plot, the country has more pressing problems. The list of government officials involved in drugs is so thick. That alone is already very difficult to solve and yet you would still put together a ‘plot’ or whatever),” said Alvarez.

He also said that a six-year term is short that the ruling party would not distract itself from fulfilling its promises to the Filipino people.

“Alam mo, yung six years mabilis lang naman yan e, hindi na kailangang mag-plot-plot. E meron pa nga tayong hinaharap na ano, etong charter change di ba, revision nung constitution. Doon pa lang mauubos na rin ang oras natin (Six years could swiftly go by; there is no need to plot. As everybody knows, we also have to tackle charter change – the revision of the Constitution. That would also consume most of our time),” the Speaker said.

Alvarez also downplayed allegations made by Robredo’s camp that a ballot recount is also part of the plot to take the vice presidency from her.

Robredo, a member of the Liberal Party, won the vice presidential race with only a slim margin of only 263,473 votes over former Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.

An electoral protest was filed by the camp of Marcos over allegations of rigging transmission results.

Alvarez said that if ever a ballot recount will actually take place, nobody really knows what the real score is except Robredo.

“Why worry if you are really confident of your numbers? No matter how they count it, if you are the real winner, then you are the real winner,” he said.

“Besides, the recount would be attended by lawyers and representatives from both camps and I am sure that it would be televised. So, what is actually in the ballot would be counted,” Alvarez said.

Robredo formally tendered her resignation on Monday as chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) barely five months after she accepted the offer to head the agency previously handled by former Vice Presidents Jejomar Binay and Noli de Castro.

In her statement last Sunday, Robredo claimed she had been warned of a plot to steal the vice presidency from her. (PNA)LGI/CMR