Sincerity ain’t enough!Opinion by Maximo Tumbali, Forum ContributorIt pays to be a pesky critic of the highest leader of the land. Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo has just been bequeathed a post by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte himself where she is to be at the helm in the continuing battle against drugs where thousands of lives have already been lost. Although offered seemingly on a silver platter, so to speak, Leni had a bit of hesitance before she accepted the position. What kept her thinking was the fear that the whole thing might be a trap set up by PRRD. And should she fall into it, that would mean her tragic downfall. But such fear didn’t get the better of her. On the contrary, VP Leni grabbed the offer and made a vow to the public that she will do her best to carry out the new task given to her with all sincerity and earnestness.
IMAGE CREDIT(LEFT): THEMOSTPOPULARLISTS.COMPRESIDENT DUTERTE APPOINTS VP LENI ROBREDO ANTI-DRUG CZAR:
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO MAKE HER SUCCEED?
Making a vow is one thing, but to fulfill it is quite another. This is what the new drug czar must be wary of. Fighting a war on drugs is man’s job. Besides being risky, it takes one a steel heart and unwavering mind, seasoned and equipped with quick readiness to fight and the strategy if not the expertise to subdue the enemy. This is the first time ever that a woman in the person of VP Leni Robredo has been designated by PRRD to be at the forefront in the war on drugs. Woman that she is, the doubting Thomases now anticipate her dismal failure as the new drug czar. They say Leni lacks the first-hand knowledge, the required expertise, and has the least experience to address the menacing drug problem head on. True, she has a legion of advisers on her side but the question is: will they be of help? Those close and allied to her have been known to be detractors of the Duterte administration. Thus how can one expect that they will set aside their animosity against Duterte and honestly join the new anti-drug czar in her effort to win the war against drugs without necessarily killing human lives?
A neophyte you may call her, but VP Leni has stood her ground and made clear her promise to alter some of the ways in which PRRD has handled his war on drugs. She’s learning the ropes. Hopefully, along the way she won’t fall off. It behooves her to do what is right and avoid what is wrong. That should be her moral prerogative. For now, many doubting Thomases cannot help calling her a toddler in the woods. But the new anti-drug Czar may as well prove them wrong if at the end of the day they will see positive changes in the manner in which the Philippine war on drugs is being waged. For her to succeed in her challenging task, Leni must once and for all turn a deaf ear to all the promptings and suggestions of her political allies whose sole intention is to bungle and mangle the fight against drugs started by PRRD, as they think this is only way by which they can bring down the president. Should VP Leni do otherwise, she’ll lose the occasion or the chance to show and prove not only to PRRD but to the whole populace that she can be a good and effective leader.
At this time when our country continues to be beset by humongous problems, VP Leni in her newly assigned task must work in tandem with our President. She must put aside politics and focus on what should be done to help our people alleviate their suffering from the drug scourge.
