Robredo to Duterte: Don't let temper rule ICC exit

HEAD OVER HEART: Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday urged President Rodrigo Duterte not to let his emotions get the better of him in quitting the International Criminal Court. 

Duterte on Sunday urged other nations to follow his move to withdraw the Philippines from the Rome Statute that set up the ICC, which is examining his anti-drug drive. 

"Hind dapat daanin sa init ng ulo ang pagwi-withdraw o hindi," Robredo told reporters. 

(We shouldn't be ruled by temper in deciding whether or not to quit from the ICC.) 

The Vice President, who resigned from Duterte's Cabinet in 2016 due to policy differences, likened the ICC last week to a "safety net" for victims of human rights abuse by public officials. 

• Robredo: Philippines to lose rights 'safety net' with ICC exit 

Robredo met the President for the first time this year at the graduation rites of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), where Duterte attacked the ICC anew. 

• 'Bastos yan': Duterte urges member states to leave ICC

Duterte had acknowledged Robredo's presence before his speech, saying "Kaibigan man kami ni ma'am."

(Ma'am and I are friends.) 

He also sat beside the Vice President and shook her hand as he went onstage. 

Robredo, however, admitted that Duterte did not invite her to his lunch with PMA cadets. 

Asked if she took offense over the snub, Robredo said: "Hindi naman. Isa 'yun sa obligasyon ko e." 

"Mahirap man ang environment, kailangan mong gawin iyun kasi trabaho iyun," she added. 

(Not really. That was among my obligations. Even if the environment is difficult, I need to do that because that is part of my job.) 

Robredo made the statement during a visit to the impoverished Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila, where some families reportedly eat rice only once a day because of the recent increase of grain prices. 

National officials, she said, should address a shortage in government-subsidized grain. 

Report from Zyann Ambrosio, ABS-CBN News