Stolen shot (or a”candid shot”) of President Duterte looking softly at VP Leni Robredo after he extended her and her family a dinner invite during a huddle at the Philippine National Police graduation rites last Friday. (news report below the photo)
From GMA 7 News online, in itals:“Leni told me she’s not part of destabilization,” said Duterte, who was in Bukidnon for a drug abuse-rehabilitation center groundbreaking ceremony.
“Sabi niya (Robredo) ‘Wala ako dyan ha.’ Sabi ko ‘I believe you,'” Duterte added.
Duterte said he also assured Robredo that he is not part of the impeachment moves against her.
“Sabi ko, ‘Leni left and right kasi intriga, but wala akong kasali diya sa impeachment impeachment,” The President further narrated.
Duterte reiterated during an interview with reporters in Malaybalay that impeachment moves against the vice president should stop.
“I would say that let’s stop it. Kakaeleksyon lang natin, nine months tapos andito na we go into this… ousting an elected leader. Mabigat ‘yan,” he said.
He added that he would support an impeachment proceeding against an appointed government official, “but iyong elected leader, sagrado ang boto ng Pilipino.”
The President was narrating his conversation with Robredo during the graduation rites of the Philippine National Police Academy’s (PNPA) Class 2017 last Friday.
He also said that his family still plans to host a dinner for the Robredo family, though he did not reveal exactly when this will take place.
A day before the PNPA event, Duterte defended Robredo and called on her critics to put an end to impeachment plans against her.
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, however, was adamant and insisted that Congress has the final say on the matter.
“Sabi niya (Duterte) nga, tigilan na yang impeachment. Ngunit, ang sa akin naman dito siguro, ‘di ko masuportahan ang pangulo dahil alam naman natin lahat na yung Kongreso ay isang separate at independent na constitutional branch of government,” Alvarez explained.
“We have the exclusive jurisdiction to process impeachment complaints filed sa House of Representatives.”
A group of lawyers, who support Duterte, had also insisted that they will file an impeachment complaint against Robredo. — DVM/ALG, GMA News
Photo by Malacañang
(embedded is one of the songs for the suggested playlist for said dinner date.)
Breaking: President Duterte invited VP Leni & family to dinner at a huddle during PNPA rites
Breaking News: From Jessica Soho, State of the Nation GMA News 7: According to confidential sources of GMA News 7, President Duterte invited Vice President Leni Robredo and her family to have dinner with him and his family, to be scheduled by Bong Go with VP Robredo’s staff, during a huddle at the Philippine National Police Academy graduation rites today.
Earlier, from GMA News online: Silang, Cavite – Amid impeachment talks and alleged ouster plots, President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo were seated next to each other at the commencement exercises of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Masidlak Class of 2017 at the Gen. Cicero C. Campos Grandstand in Camp Castañada. Duterte arrived around 10:20 a.m. for the ceremonies, while Robredo arrived earlier. When the President arrived at the grandstand, he shook hands with the Vice President and engaged her in a conversation. Interior Secretary Mike Sueno was supposed to be seated in between Duterte and Robredo. But Duterte invited Robredo to sit beside him instead, the footage of the RTVM showed. Sueno then took Robredo’s seat. It was Sueno who initially nudged Robredo to take his seat as he wouldn’t want to disrupt her conversation with the President. The Vice President declined and eventually Sueno took his place. But Duterte then invited Robredo to sit next to him, removing the pieces of paper on Sueno’s chair. This is the first time that Duterte and Robredo sat next to each other in a public event since Robredo resigned from the Cabinet. For the past few days, he had been saying that Robredo is in a hurry to claim the presidency. He even proposed for the Vice President to marry him instead. Duterte on Thursday even tagged Robredo as one of those who want him ousted. But earlier that day, Duterte defended Robredo from the impending impeachment complaint against her, calling on those planning to do so to just stop. “Look. We just had an election. Guys, lay off. Stop it. You can do other things, but do not tinker with the structure of government. I will not countenance it. Elected iyong tao eh,” Duterte said in a press briefing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after arriving from his trips in Myanmar and Thailand. “So, why do you have to? Just because she keeps harping on me? Hayaan mo. This is a democracy. It’s freedom of speech. Wala naman—there are no overt acts,” he added.
