MANILA - Vice President Leni Robredo has issued a strongly-worded statement, as she hit back at President Rodrigo Duterte's recent remarks.

"The allegations made by the President are recycled rants conveniently used to deflect attention from the failures of this administration," said Robredo in a statement Friday.

Robredo was responding to Duterte's recent remarks, including a statement that the country would be better off with a dictator than her and allegations that her hometown was a "hotbed" of illegal drugs.

"While he may be intending to flatter me by keeping me at the top of his mind these days when he stands behind the seal of his office, I’d still prefer that he focus on the many important matters that he needs to address—as rising prices continue to make life difficult for our fellow Filipinos, especially for those in need," she said.

"Perhaps he can use his podium to assure the people that he is on top of these problems—and to use his power to intervene when his appointed officials struggle to come up with coherent solutions to the rising prices of rice and other basic commodities," she added.

In a speech on Thursday, Duterte said the Philippines, in the middle of a drug war, would be better off in the hands of dictators like the late Ferdinand Marcos rather than the likes of Robredo.

• Duterte: PH better off 'choosing a dictator' like Marcos

Robredo, whose victory is being contested by Marcos' only son, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Sr., took exception to the President's statement.

"Instead of continuing to glorify a dictator who stole billions from our country, drove the nation into debt, and presided over the murder and imprisonment of thousands of Filipinos, he can work on truly unifying the nation, and assuring our people, especially those at the fringes, that their voices are being heard and that their daily suffering will soon be eased," she said.

In the same speech, the President also said he was standing by his claim that Naga City, Robredo's hometown, is a hotbed of shabu, and reiterated that it was the Vice President's brother-in-law who “brought drugs to Bicol.”

• Duterte stands by claim that Naga is hotbed of shabu

Duterte earlier said he does not think Robredo "can improve on anything here," citing that her bailiwick was supposedly a hotbed of shabu.

• Naga City expresses ‘indignation’ over Duterte’s ‘hotbed of shabu’ claim

Robredo said the war against narcotics "remains highest on the President’s agenda, so much so that he is now pinning blame on a blind man."

"Perhaps instead of constantly repeating this ridiculous allegation, and throwing mud on the name of a city that thrives on good governance—and that staunchly supports the call to fight illegal drugs—he can turn his attention to the P6.8-billion shabu shipment that slipped past his customs officials, and not just shrug off the insistent report of his own PDEA chief regarding the magnetic lifters found in Cavite," she said.

Lawmakers are currently investigating the claim made by Aaron Aquino, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, that some P6.8 billion worth of shabu was stuffed into magnetic lifters seized in Cavite.

Duterte branded the PDEA report as "speculation" after the Bureau of Customs announced that the 4 magnetic lifters tested negative for traces of shabu.

• Duterte says PDEA report on shabu in magnetic lifters 'speculation'