VP Robredo slams Mocha for ‘fake news’

Vice President Leni Robredo slammed former communications official Mocha Uson on Thursday for continuing to spread “fake news” despite being paid with taxpayer money as a government official, and said that the former entertainer’s action was “an insult” to the Filipino people.

“Why are we allowing a purveyor of fake news to be employed by the government?” asked Robredo, reacting to Uson’s personal blog on Wednesday which commented on the Vice President’s visit to several evacuation centers on Tuesday to distribute relief goods to evacuees from the Taal Volcano eruption.

Uson, deputy executive director of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, claimed in her blog that Robredo spent “more money on media coverage” but offered only “five pieces of pandesal and a bottle of water” to evacuees.

The blog on Facebook included a comment accusing Robredo of spending government funds for bodyguards while her office donated only “P30 worth of relief goods.”

Robredo charged Uson and some online trolls of undermining the contributions of civilians who donated to the Office of the Vice President’s relief drive.

People lined up outside her office within an hour after she asked for volunteers, Robredo said.

“They brought with them their own relief packs,” she added. The Vice President visited three evacuation centers on Tuesday.

“It is the Filipino people’s money that’s being used to pay [Uson],” Robredo said, adding that Uson “poisons the minds of Filipinos” by spreading false information.