Helping during a calamity is not a contest, Robredo tells Duterte
MANILA, Philippines — Helping Filipinos during a calamity should not be a contest, Vice President Leni Robredo told President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday following the latter’s fresh tirades over her typhoon response efforts.
Robredo also denied Duterte’s claim that she asked about his whereabouts when Typhoon Ulysses hit the country.
“When a President is a misogynist, the conversation goes down to this level,” Robredo said in a tweet. “Eto po yung ginagawa namin gabi gabi. Nagpupuyat ilang linggo na para, araw-araw, may madala lang na tulong sa mga nangangailangan.”
[Translation: “This is what we do every night. We’ve been losing sleep every night so that every day we can bring help to those in need.”]
Her post was accompanied with a video of volunteers repacking relief goods for typhoon victims.
When a President is a mysoginist, the conversation goes down to this level. Eto po yung ginagawa namin gabi gabi, nagpupuyat ilang linggo na para, araw-araw, may madala lang na tulong sa mga nangangailangan. https://t.co/J6MJ7yEl6U pic.twitter.com/lrtkpPKI4C
— Leni Robredo (@lenirobredo) November 17, 2020
“I just called out Sec [Salvador] Panelo for peddling fake news. I am also calling out whoever peddled the fake news to the President, kaya ganito siya ka pikon. I never said “Where is the President”? You can review all my tweets,” said Robredo.
Earlier, Panelo claimed that Robredo used a government plane when she went to the Bicol region to provide relief for victims of the recent typhoons.
During Duterte’s pre-recorded speech, he called Robredo “dishonest” for supposedly questioning his absence when Typhoon Ulysses hit the country.
He said Robredo knew that he was attending a virtual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at the time.
The President likewise warned Robredo not to “compete” with him, saying she was not in the line of authority to coordinate with the military on rescue efforts.
“Whenever we get updates from the ground, we share them with the public. It is important to assure those who are distressed that (1) we heard you; (2) help is coming; (3) we are doing all we can to save you,” Robredo said.
“Sa panahon ng matinding sakuna, dapat lahat na tulong, welcome. Hindi ito contest. Hindi tayo nag uunahan. Lahat tayo dapat nagtutulong tulong para sa ating mga kababayan,” she went on.
[In times of grave disaster, everyone who wants to help should be welcome. This is not a contest. We are not in a race. All of us should help each other for the sake of our countrymen.]
When several Cagayan residents asked for help through social media during the massive flooding caused by Ulysses, Robredo posted updates on Twitter about the coordination being done by her office with authorities on rescue efforts.
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