Robredo clears more issues; insists she is not into any affair

Vice President Leni Robredo. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo finally spoke about allegations that she has an affair with other men, claiming that these are mere accusations thrown when detractors have no more logical arguments to make.

Robredo said in a Facebook post on Thursday that at least two of the individuals linked to her were actually her gay friends.

The Vice President mentioned this after President Rodrigo Duterte threw a question for her about where she is heading home after work — which have been absorbed by the President’s supporters in attacking Robredo.

“Third picture is again a purveyor of fake news. Di ko lang alam kung paano ito pinalaki ng magulang niya. Nakakaawa […] At tuwing wala na silang matinong argumento, kabastusan na ang ibinabato,” Robredo said in her post.

(Third picture is again a purveyor of fake news.  I do not know how she was raised by her parents, it’s a pity.  And when they no longer have good arguments, they resort to foul accusations.)

“Marami nang beses nilang sinabi na nanlalaki ako. Ilang beses, nag post ng mga pictures na kung sino sinong kasama ko, sinasabing boyfriend ko. Dalawang beses, kaibigan kong gay yung napagbintangan,” she added.

(They have said several times that I’ve had affairs with men.  Several times, they posted pictures of who I was with, they were saying that these were my boyfriend.  Two times, my gay friend was accused.)

But Robredo did not stop there: she also mentioned that a party-mate being linked to him as they were usually seen together, was actually working for her, coordinating with local governments whenever she would pay a visit to a locality.

“Pero yung paulit ulit na ginagamit, yung nagtratrabaho for me na assigned ng aming partido to handle my political needs. Siya yung kadalasan nag cocoordinate ng lahat na concerns with politicians and with local leaders. Pag ang lakad ko may halong engagement with politicians, kasama siya sa team,” she explained.

(But what they repeatedly use, is the person working for me who was assigned by our party to handle my political needs.  He is the one usually coordinating all the concerns with politicians and local leaders.  If I have trips and engagements with politicians, then he goes with the team.)

“Matagal ko itong hindi pinapansin kasi hindi naman totoo. Pero noong mag decide kaming i call out na yung mga fake news, ito yung isa sa pinaka una naming kinonfront.  Nasa facebook page namin yung video nito. Pero paulit ulit pa din ginagamit pag ubos na yung argumento nila,” she added.

(I have decided before not to entertain this because it is not true.  But we decided to call out the fake news, this is what we confronted first.  The video is in our Facebook page.  But they have repeatedly used this because their arguments have run out.)

Robredo also appealed to detractors to spare her party-mate’s family as they have helped her and the Office of the Vice President’s initiatives.

The Vice President did not mention the name of the person but several observers believe she was pertaining to former Quezon City Rep. Jorge “Bolet” Banal, a Liberal Party member who joined Robredo’s campaign for the vice presidency in 2016.

Supporters of the President including bloggers defending the Chief Executive have long linked Robredo and Banal.

During Duterte’s recorded briefing on Tuesday, he stressed that he was aware of what was happening amid Typhoon Ulysses — as he insinuated that Robredo was publicly asking for his whereabouts, which actually did not happen.

He then asked Robredo where she had been staying — a misogynistic remark implying that she was going to different houses.

Robredo was the target of Duterte’s recent tirades after the former attended to distress calls from Marikina, Rizal towns, and Cagayan Valley due to the immense floods brought by Ulysses.  She was accused of grandstanding and ordering the military around, but Robredo has repeatedly clarified that all she did was coordinate concerns to people on the ground.

JPV