Insulted on her looks, Robredo pays tribute to ‘sponsor’ who made PPEs for frontliners

MANILA, Philippines — Instead of firing back after getting insulted about her looks, Vice President Leni Robredo on Wednesday took the opportunity to salute a Filipino local clothing brand who partnered with her office in making personal protective equipment (PPE).

https://www.facebook.com/leni.robredo/posts/10220128541616122

Veteran actress and staunch Duterte supporter Vivian Velez earlier made fun of Robredo’s looks, and called her recent address “the worst kind of political branding.”

In a Facebook post, Robredo said that she was “saddened” that some people chose to make fun of her appearance instead of understanding her public address on Monday.

But not one to dwell on the dark side, she instead took the opportunity to throw her support behind a local brand that  made the purple blouse that she wore in her public address.

“Lalo akong humanga sa kanila nung naka partner namin sila sa pagtahi ng PPEs dahil dun po namin sila nakilala ng lubos. Napakabait na employers at mapagkalinga sa kanilang mga mananahi,” she said.

(I admired them, even more, when they partnered with us in tailoring PPEs because that was the time we got to know them even more. The employers are very kind, and their tailors are excellent.)

Robredo also explained why she was wearing eyeglasses, as well as why she had her hair tied up that day.

“Yung pagtali ng buhok at pagsuot ng salamin, mula nung nag umpisa ang pandemic, nakatali na ang buhok ko. Mahaba na kasi. Saka mas madali mag face mask pag nakatali ang buhok,” the Vice President said.

(As to why I wore glasses and had my hair tied up, since the start of the pandemic, my hair is always tied up. It’s already long. And it’s easier to wear a face mask when your hair is in a ponytail.

“Yung salamin, dati naman po akong nagsasalamin. Matagal na. Hindi ko lang tinatanggal ngayon kasi bahagi siya ng proteksiyon laban sa virus,” she added.

(For the glasses, I have been wearing them ever since. I don’t take them off since it serves as protection against the virus.)

While Robredo did not name her detractors, Velez in her Facebook post compared Robredo to “Miss Tapia,” a fictitious character in an 80s sitcom known for her schoolmarmish bun and thick eyeglasses.

EDV