BUSAN — The firing of Vice President Leni Robredo as anti-illegal drugs czar was not meant to divert attention from the issues hounding the Philippines' hosting of this year's Southeast Asian Games, Malacañang said.
Robredo, the leader of the opposition, was dismissed as co-chair of the Interagency Committee on Anti-illegal Drugs or ICAD last Sunday, the same day SEA Games organizers drew flak for the transportation, hotel accommodation and food woes encountered by football teams from Cambodia, Myanmar and Timor Leste.
The Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee or PHISGOC has apologized for the glitch-filled reception and has vowed to "do better."
READ: Cayetano sorry for 'inefficiencies' on reception of SEA Games athletes
Malacañang claimed that President Rodrigo Duterte had fired Robredo for failing to present a proposal to improve the crackdown on illegal drugs and for "unduly baiting international attention" to the problem.
However, Robredo's allies in the opposition are convinced that her dismissal was a smokescreen to the blunders of SEA Games organizers and criticisms against the alleged lavish spending for the athletic event.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo maintained that Robredo's firing had nothing to do with the SEA Games glitches, which he said were "never intentional."
"You cannot discount any delays, incidents of non-transport and late checking in, given the fact that there are many athletes coming to the Philippines. It’s just natural,” Panelo said in a press conference here.
"These kinds of incidents, given the number of countries participating and the athletes coming here, could not be avoided. There will be delays in the transport, in the checking-in, there will be some miscommunications. Those are never intentional," he added.
Panelo, nevertheless, said the government would not make excuses for the mess.
"The organizers have apologized and have committed themselves to do better next time or for the subsequent athletes who are coming. And the Office of the President is giving no excuses. And as host country, we are apologizing for the inconvenience suffered by the athletes," the Palace spokesman said.
"But what is appealing to me, or to us, is that there has been no single incident report of their safety being in danger or their health being... at risk."
Palace to SEA Games organizers: Be creative
Despite the blunders, Malacañang thinks there is no need to replace the leaders of the SEA Games organizing team, saying the problems encountered were not that serious.
"Wala naman siguro. Yun naman, hindi naman gaano kagrabe yun (I don't think so. It wasn't that serious). It would have been different if there was a risk to their lives or to their health," Panelo said when asked whether he thought heads should roll because of the issue.
The few hours delay of checking-in or transporting, it happens to any passenger nowadays all over the world," he added.
Panelo said organizers of the athletic event should be more creative when they face logistics and hotel accommodation issues.
"If I were in the position of those organizers, if they can't check in, it's easy to solve that. Why wait until 2 p.m. when they arrive at 12 noon? Look for a hotel that is available. Stay there temporarily. It just requires creativity," Panelo said.
"Doon siguro sila nagkulang pero baka nataranta lang (Perhaps they had shortcomings there but maybe they were just panicked.)"
Asked if there is an assurance that there would be no repeat of such incident, Panelo replied: "I think the organizers learned their lesson. I'm giving them tips. It's called creativity.
"I'm sure they will do better in the next succeeding arrival of the other countries' delegates and athletes," he added.
Panelo said organizers would be accountable if they do not learn from their mistakes.