Who’s playing gender card? Lacson spox says Robredo a ‘very capable lady’

Vice President Leni Robredo with other presidential contenders, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, former National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, and Senator Panfilo Ping Lacson.

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo is a “very capable lady,” hardly incapable of defending herself, said Senator Panfilo Lacson’s spokesperson on Monday.

Ashley Acedillo said the remark in reaction to the statement of former supporters of Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno that bets in the joint press conference on Easter Sunday resorted to “vindictive machismo.”

“I think the beef of the group IM (Ikaw Muna) [Pilipinas] is with their former candidate. When they (Robredo supporters) play the gender card and throw the accusations of machismo, they take away a lot from the vice president,” Acedillo said on ABS-CBN News Channel’s Headstart.

IM Pilipinas is a group affiliated with Moreno whose breakaway faction led by former Transportation Undersecretary Tim Orbos threw its support behind Robredo.

“Not to take anything away from her, she’s a very capable lady. At the end of the day, when you talk about the problems of the country — if she does make it as president — these problems don’t look at gender. Ang tinitignan dito kapabilidad at karakter (It looks at capability and character),” he pointed out.

During the joint press conference on Sunday, several bets for president — Moreno, Lacson, Senator Manny Pacquiao, and former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales — announced that they will not back out of the presidential race despite alleged calls from the Robredo camp to withdraw their candidacies.

But IM Pilipinas, in defending Robredo, said that the candidates “have taken the road of vindictive machismo (in) attacking a lady.”

EDV