MANILA, Philippines – They weren’t consulted.

The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday, July 1, clarified reports that she had backed out of a planned meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte last week.

“Mayroon din hong reports na nagsasabing sinabi ng pangalawang pangulo na playing hard to get ang ating pangulo. Muli, hindi iyan sinabi ni VP Leni,” Georgina Hernandez, Robredo’s spokesperson, said in a statement released to media.

(There are also reports that Vice President allegedly said our President is playing hard to get. Again, VP Leni did not say that.)

Hernandez was referring to reports quoting the Duterte camp that the President and Vice President were supposed to meet in Davao City prior to their inauguration. Robredo, however, supposedly backed out of the meeting because of an overseas trip.

“Matagal nang naimbitahan si VP Leni na dumalo sa National Day Celebration for the Filipino Community na pinangunahan ng Philippine Embassy at Filipino community sa Japan. Hindi ho kami nakonsulta sa schedule noong meeting,” said Hernandez.

(The invitation to attend the National Day Celebration for the Filipino Community from the Philippine Embassy at Filipino community in Japan was sent a long time ago. We were not consulted on the schedule of the meeting.)

Duterte and Robredo have yet to meet since they won the May 9 elections.

According to sources in the Robredo camp, there were efforts to set a meeting between the two but a specific date was never set. The two officially took their oaths of office in separate ceremonies on June 30, Thursday.

Hernandez also denied reports that Robredo went to Taiwan recently. In the weeks leading up to the inauguration, Robredo and her family vacationed in Bohol, Cebu, and Myanmar. Robredo’s trip to Japan was her last trip out of Metro Manila before she was officially sworn in as the 14th vice president of the country. – Rappler.com