Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday was asked to "join" actual police operations related to the drug war as the new co-chair of the Interagency Council on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)Director General Aaron Aquino said he challenged Robredo to oversee some anti-illegal drugs operations.

"I told her, 'ma'am, what if the two of us join actual police operations so that you can see how the operatives operate. (In that way) you can have a better understanding what are the operatives do from the very beginning to the end," Aquino said in an interview over dzMM.

Aquino said Robredo will not be with operatives when arresting alleged drug suspects. Instead, Robredo will only observe the planning stage of each police operations.

"We will not make her enter the target area. Somehow she will inspect the planning stage of actual operations. She will see how operations are being done and if ever there will be defects she may give some inputs," explained Aquino.

"It is also fitting so the VP (vice president) can decide if the conducted operations are being done in accordance to the rule of law," he added.

Robredo, after accepting President Rodrigo Duterte's offer to co-chair the Interagency Council on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) pointed out that the government's war against illegal drugs should follow the rule of law.

Aquino said working with Robredo will not affect the authorities' strong mandate to solve illegal drugs problem in the country.

"Actually the vice president did not say that the operations should be softened. In fact, she said it should be vigorous but again in accordance to the rule of law. The PNP (Philippine National Police) and PDEA know that," he said. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS