President Rodrigo Roa Duterte witnesses the program proper during the 39th Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Commencement Exercises for the ‘Maragtas’ Class of 2018 at Camp General Mariano N. Castañeda in Silang, Cavite on March 21, 2018. Seated beside him was Vice-President Leni Robredo whom he teased in his speech. ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
(Eagle News) — “I love to see my Vice-President.”
This was how President Rodrigo Duterte teased Vice-President Leni Robredo, as he greeted her at the start of his speech during the graduation ceremony of the Philippine National Police Academy in Silang, Cavite on Wednesday, March 21.
“Vice President Maria Leonor ‘Leni’ Robredo, this is the third time that I have greeted you, my lady,” he said as the audience applauded.
“Iyong una sa PMA in Baguio, then Fort Bonifacio kahapon at dito ngayon. Sana po may graduation pang iba para magkita pa rin tayo,” he said.
“I love to see my Vice-President,” he added.
Duterte and Robredo first saw each again this year when they both attended the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) graduation ceremonies in Baguio City on Sunday, March 18. They were seated beside each other at that time.
The second time was on March 20 when he and Robredo also attended the 121st founding anniversary of the Philippine Army.
During his speech then, the President also teased Robredo, as he explained why he arrived late for the program. He said this was because they had a very lengthy cabinet meeting that lasted until three in the morning that day. He claimed that the object of their conversation was Robredo.
“Hindi ako nagbabasa ng speech kaya lang I am very sorry I was late because we ended the Cabinet meeting at 3 o‟clock in the morning.
We started at 2 in the afternoon. Natapos ho kami ma’am ng three, ang pinag-usapan namin ikaw,” Duterte said amid laughter from the audience.
Duterte, early in his term in 2016, appointed Robredo as the head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), but in December that year, he gave instructions for her to desist from attending cabinet meetings.
After receiving the instructions, she then resigned from the Duterte cabinet.
At that time, Robredo had been consistently criticizing the President’s war on drugs and criminality, and even Duterte’s decision allowing the burial of the late President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in November 2016.
(Eagle News Service)