MANILA, Philippines — Senator Francis Pangilinan on Wednesday came to the defense of Vice President Leni Robredo who was again the object of President Rodrigo Duterte’s lengthy rant Tuesday, accusing her of grandstanding in her efforts to help victims of the typhoon.
In an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel, Pangilinan noted that ever since the time of Typhoon Rolly, Robredo had already been discussing with him how to help those affected by the calamities.
“I think what our people need, and are crying out for, is help. So I think media, all offices should set aside these other issues: politics and focus on helping. I’m sorry ang gusto lang naman ni VP, and I’ve been in regular communication with her since Quinta and then Rolly, is to help,” he said.
Pangilinan said that moving forward, government and the private sector should set aside politics and focus on the relief and rehabilitation.
“Now is not the time to discuss what the President said and the insults, or etcetera. Now is the time to set aside all of that and focus on relief and rehab because so many people are suffering. And they deserve better than politics as usual,” he said.
“Yun ang dapat pagtuuanan ng pansin: pano natin matutulongan mula Bicol hanggang Cagayan ang kalamidad at trahedya. The last thing our people want at this point want is bangayan. Ang gusto lang mangyari ng ating VP ay tumulong,” he further said of his party-mate at the Liberal Party.
(That’s what we should fous on: how we can help the victims — from Bicol to Cagayan — of the calamities and tragedy… Our VP only wanted to help.)
In a pre-recorded speech aired late Tuesday, Duterte launched fresh tirades against the vice president, falsely claiming that the latter had questioned his absence when Typhoon Ulysses battered Luzon and caused massive flooding in several provinces.
Robredo never issued any statement asking the President’s whereabouts during Ulysses’ onslaught, only of real-time updates via her Twitter account when several netizens asked for help following massive flooding in Cagayan and Isabela due to Typhoon Ulysses.
‘Misogynist’
On social media, Duterte was also criticized for his misogynistic remarks against Robredo.
“If you want to be, should you become the president, if you want, buy plenty of swimsuits and start to swim when the floods come. Your suggestive question is a poor man’s argument,” Duterte told Robredo.
But Pangilinan said that while misogyny should be called out, he underscored the need to focus on more pressing matters, like extending assistance to the thousands of families affected by the recent typhoon.
“I’m not saying that misogyny is something that we should just gloss over, no. Sometimes these are issues being used to divert attention,” Pangilinan said.
“I think what our people need immediately, as in today, is how can we help them overcome the experiences that we face because of these tragedies,” he added.
Pangilinan also lamented the false information being circulated over Robredo’s relief efforts to typhoon victims.
“Indeed nakakalungkot na sa gitna ng pinsala, sa gitna ng napakaraming nahihirapan ngayon e nagkakaroon ng fake news,” the senator said. “Imbis na gastusin yung oras at panahon sa pagtulong, patuloy pa ring naglalabas ng mga gawa gawang kwento na hindi naman tama.”