WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles, Washington Bureau) – You can always rely on The Adobo Chronicles to bring you the latest, breaking news.

We have just obtained an advanced copy of the prepared speech of Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo to be delivered at a Leadership Forum sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on October 17, 2018, in Washington, D.C.

We are sharing this with our 26 Million viewers worldwide.

Here is the full speech:

Mr. Moderator, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:

As always, it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to visit the U.S., especially your nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.

I have traveled more than 7,000 miles to be with you today.

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I am greatly honored that you have invited me to address this gathering and talk about leadership.

I know a lot about leadership.I could not have been elected Vice President without the leadership of Smartmatic.I ran in the election on the coattails of my late husband’s leadership.

But I also have my own unique brand of leadership.In my country it’s called the ‘Laylayan” leadership.It simply means I lead by making myself visible among the less-fortunate of our society.

I travel to the very corners of our nation, taking advantage of every photo opportunity that would show that I am very comfortable being in the midst of the poor, the down-trodden, the forgotten.Never mind that I am often photographed wearing designer shoes and carrying designer bags.That’s not the issue.The meat of leadership is not what I wear on the outside, but what I harbor on the inside — my commitment to uplift the livelihood of the ordinary people.That I serve “lugaw” or rice porridge is just icing on the cake for those who travel far and wide on hired jeepneys and buses just to see me.

I have said before that the Philippines’ Vice President has no real powers, except to wait for something to happen to the President.

I have been waiting for more than two years now, and am still patiently waiting.Sometimes I feel like my title should be changed from Vice President to “Lady-in-Waiting.”I like how it sounds, don’t you?

In the meantime, I try to keep myself busy by arranging for foreign travel and to address international gatherings like this one today.I could only thank my financiers here in the U.S. and other countries.I am deeply indebted to them, and they know who they are.

I have been asked to talk about leadership.

I have a prepared speech, painstakingly written by my assistant Georgina Hernandez and her team of brilliant communicators.But I choose not to read this speech today.

“Huwag nang speech.Meryenda na lang”(No more speech, just snacks.)

Thank you and more power to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles, Washington Bureau) – Everything is set for Leni Robredo’s appearance at a Leadership Forum in Washington D.C., under the auspices of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.  It is scheduled for October 17.

But Robredo’s speaking engagement could face a sudden cancellation, thanks to her recent public statement that ALL Asian countries import oil.

The forum was made possible with the financial support of Pertamina, an Indonesian state-owned oil and natural gas corporation.

Officials of Pertamina are reportedly upset at Robredo’s statement, pointing to the fact that Indonesia, an Asian country, actually EXPORTS oil (or at least used to) as do other countries in the Middle East like Saudi Arabia, which are all part of the Asian continent.

Moral of the story: If you’re the Vice President, be sure to do research before you open your mouth, especially when it comes to oil.

OTTAWA, Canada (The Adodo Chronicles, Toronto Bureau) – The trash from Canada that arrived at the Port of Manila several years ago is still fresh in the minds of Filipinos.  Many will recall that  the importation by a Filipino firm involved recycled plastic, but upon inspection in Manila, the containers revealed toxic and hazardous waste.

Now, the Canadian government has announced that it was its turn to import trash from the Philippines.

The government didn’t provide details of the trash importation, except to confirm that Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo will be arriving in Canada this week.