Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Vice President Leni Robredo thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for appointing her to a Cabinet post as the country’s “housing czar” early Thursday evening.
This developed after Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre III told reporters minutes earlier that the President had offered the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chairmanship to Robredo.
Aguirre also said that Robredo had been asked by the President to attend a Cabinet meeting on Monday.
“Mas mapaglilingkuran natin ang ating mga kababayang walang tahanan at maipagpapatuloy natin ang ating pangakong itulak ang kaunlaran at kaginhawaan para sa ating mga kapus palad na kababayan.” Robredo said in a statement.
[Translation: “We will be able to serve our countrymen better, especially those without a roof over their head. We will be able to realize our promise to improve the quality of life of poor Filipinos.”]
Related: Duterte: No cabinet post yet for Leni
Robredo added that providing shelter for the poor and marginalized was also an advocacy of her late husband, Jesse.
Related: Duterte ‘non-committal’ on giving Cabinet post to Robredo
Turn of events
The news about the offer came as a surprise as Duterte previously said a number of times that he was not committed to giving Robredo a Cabinet post.
Related: Marcos meets with Duterte in Davao City
Duterte even cited the situation of losing vice presidential bet, Bongbong Marcos, for not giving Robredo a Cabinet seat.
The incoming President then had said that Marcos was a friend, and giving a post to his VP rival might hurt him.
Related: Duterte, Robredo meet in Camp Aguinaldo
It also took a while before Duterte and Robredo met each other personally — which happened at Camp Aguinaldo during the AFP’s turnover ceremony.
A few days after that, Robredo went to Malacañang and had a brief meeting with the President.
Asked for a reason for the President’s change of mind, Aguirre said there had been a “warming up” between the two highest officials of the land after the meetings. Photos of Duterte and Robredo smiling and exchanging pleasantries also made it to social media — with netizens coming up with memes about a “Dubredo” team-up.
After the elections, Robredo had always maintained that she would fully support the new administration.
The reins of HUDCC had previously been held by two Vice Presidents — dubbed as housing czars: Noli De Castro and Jejomar Binay.
