Presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo. (VP Leni Media Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo has debunked claims that Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison is her advisor, adding that her camp is mulling possible legal action against people spreading ‘fake news’.
In a statement on Saturday, presidential candidate Robredo pointed out that said that she has never even talked with the Sison who is in self-exile in the Netherlands.
“Walang katotohanan ang kuwento na ‘adviser’ ko o ng ating kampanya si Jose Maria Sison. Hindi ko pa siya nakakausap kahit minsan, personal man o sa anumang paraan,” she said.
(There is no truth to the claims that Jose Maria Sison is my personal or campaign adviser. I have never talked to him in any capacity.)
“Malinaw na kasinungalingan ang paratang na siya ay nagbibigay ng ‘advice’ sa akin o sinuman sa aking staff,” she added.
(The claim that he is advising us is a lie.)
“Kasalukuyang pinag-aaralan na ng ating mga abogado ang pagsampa ng nararapat na kaso para panagutin ang nagpalabas ng kasinungalingang ito,” she noted.
(Our lawyers are looking at filing of appropriate cases to hold people who propagate these lies accountable.)
Sison himself denied the claim.
“I have not been advising Leni Robredo. I have not been consulting with Barry Gutierrez, the spokesman of Robredo,” Sison said in a separate statement.
“I presume that the Ang Bayan, official publication of the Communist Party of the Philippines, will deny the fake report,” he added.
CPP spokesperson Marco Valbuena also countered the claims, saying that these claims were not published in Ang Bayan.