VP says she’ll focus on more important things
BY WENDELL VIGILIA and ASHZEL HACHERO
VICE President Leni Robredo yesterday shrugged off Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso’s rants against her, saying he’s not worth reacting to because the country is facing a much tougher battle bigger than their rivalry in the presidential race.
“Uulitin ko, hindi ko siya papatulan, dahil hindi naman ito simpleng laban lang naming dalawa. Laban ito ng bayan natin, may mas malaking laban na kailangan nating panalunin (I repeat, I won’t engage with him because this isn’t just our fight. This is our country’s fight, there’s a bigger fight that we have to win),” Robredo told reporters while campaigning in Bogo City, Cebu.
Moreno’s chief campaign strategist Lito Banayo shot down talks the mayor is imploding and becoming self-destructive.
Moreno on Wednesday called Robredo the “godmother of all bullies” as he challenged her to deny that her camp and supporters have been attempting to get him and other candidates to withdraw from the race.
He also called the Robredo camp and supporters “pink bullies” and “matapobre” (one who look down on another). He said he was not engaging in a fight with the Vice President but merely stating facts.
On Sunday in a press conference with fellow presidential candidates Sen. Panfilo Lacson and former defense secretary Norberto Gonzales, Moreno called for Robredo’s withdrawal from the presidential race.
Lacson and Gonzales have distanced themselves from the quit call, but Moreno continued his attack against the opposition leader, and cried “social injustice” after receiving criticisms especially for hitting survey second placer Robredo, instead of front-runner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
The joint press conference had been meant as a venue for Moreno, Lacson, Gonzales to announce they are not withdrawing from the presidential race. Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who was supposed to join the conference, said Wednesday that criticizing other candidates was not in the agenda.
A former official of Moreno’s Aksyon Demokratiko party, Kaye Legaspi, told ANC TV the mayor has damaged the party’s values and he is on a “self-destruct” mode.
Banayo, echoing Moreno’s statements, said only those from the A and B classes, or what he called “intellectuals and political analysts,” are saying that Moreno’s attacks on Robredo are backfiring on him.
He said those who belong to the C, D and E classes, or the poor, did not criticize Moreno for his stance, adding they can see their support to his presidential run in their campaign sorties.
“I’m not saying it’s helping but I dispute… the opinion of some that it is backfiring against him,” Banayo told ABS-CBN News Channel, adding ordinary Filipinos want candor and frankness from their candidates.
Robredo said she would rather focus on the important things because the country is at a crossroads as the elections would determine the kind of governance it will have in the next six years.
“That’s what we’re fighting for now. And we ask everyone to join us in this fight. We won’t spend time fighting with other candidates because this fight is more than all of us combined,” she said in Filipino.
The Robredo camp has answered the issue about allegedly asking her rivals to withdraw, saying there are no “active efforts on our end to actually talk to any candidate much less ask them to withdraw.”
Moreno’s running mate, Willie Ong, in a video he posted on his Facebook page Wednesday, called for a “ceasefire” and said he is also willing to “broker” talks between Moreno and Robredo.
“Tingin ko, maganda ceasefire muna para kumalma din ng konti ‘yung mga tao. Puwede ako mag-broker. I volunteer, kung gusto ninyo (i think it will be better to have a ceasefire so their respective supporters will also calm down. I can broker it. I will volunteer myself if they are willing),” he said.
Ong said it is better for candidates to keep their cool, especially with less than three weeks before the election.
Ong on Wednesday said he is against anyone calling for Robredo or any candidate to back out of the race.
Yesterday, Ong said he will stand by Moreno.
NBI PROBE
One of Robredo’s daughters, Aika, has formally asked the NBI to investigate the spread of fabricated sex videos that claim to be her on various internet sites and social media platforms.
In a letter dated April 18, Aika through a lawyer requested assistance from Michelle Valdez, officer-in-charge of the NBI Cybercrime Division, to look into possible cases of cybercrimes and violations of special criminal laws and the Revised Penal Code.
“The past few days have seen a sudden surge of uploads and posts in various blogs, porn sites and social media platforms that mislead the public and give the impression that our client has videos or photos allegedly showing her in a scandalous pose or act,” the letter said.
The letter said the use of Robredo’s name to entice the general public to click on the links exposes her to ridicule and subjects her person and her reputation to abuse and harassment.
As much as Aika wanted to ignore the vicious attack to focus on her mother’s presidential campaign, she fears that “other persons might also be subjected to similar abuse and harassment from the same perpetrators.”
“We are filing this not just for Aika, but for all those who could be victimized by these online predators. We will not stop until the perpetrators of this atrocious act are behind bars,” said Aika’s lawyer Pingki Bartolome. “Your good office has the necessary tools and equipment to identify the first post, the username(s) and/or accounts, the sites or links and the IP addresses, and the identity/ies of the perpetrator(s).”
