Robredo apologizes to Binay, says she didn’t mean to undermine him

SURIGAO CITY, Philippines—Vice President Leni Robredo on Wednesday apologized to former Vice President Jejomar Binay for making remarks about her brief stint as the housing chair that might have offended her predecessor.

Binay’s spokesperson Joey Salgado hit Robredo for her “unfair and self-serving” statement portraying herself as the “most hardworking” chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) with only five months in office.

READ: Robredo: I’ve done much for gov’t housing

Speaking to reporters in Surigao City, Robredo explained that she did not mean to undermine the efforts of the past Vice Presidents.

She said she only wanted to emphasize the hard work she committed to the government’s housing agency.

“Mali siguro ‘yung pagkakasabi ko kaya nagaapologize din ako Kung iba ‘yung naging dating sa kanya (I probably made a mistake in my delivery, and for that I apologize. If it came across to him in that manner), that was not what I meant,” Robredo said.

Robredo, after her several engagements in Compostela Valley on Tuesday, proceeded to Surigao City to have a dialogue with Mamanwa tribe and speak before members of the academe at the Department of Education’s Teachers’ Congress.

“Sinabi ko ‘yon to emphasize my passion and commitment and hard work na binuhos ko siguro hindi naman matatawaran but that’s not in deference to matatawaran ‘yung pagod ng iba (I said that to emphasize my passion and commitment and the hard work that I put into it, which I don’t think anybody can deny, but that does not mean that I am undermining the effort of others),” Robredo said.

During a press conference after addressing the nation on Monday, Robredo said that she had done much for HUDCC, addressing speculations that President Rodrigo Duterte wanted her out of his Cabinet because she performed below par as housing czar.

In reaction to this, Salgado said: “According to VP Robredo, she is perhaps the only HUDCC chair who personally attends board meetings and works on weekends and at home. I cannot speak for the other previous HUDCC chairs but perhaps she hasn’t heard of former VP Binay’s work ethic. Hindi naman siguro tama na tapakan ang iba para maiangat ang sarili (It’s not right to put others down just so you can exalt yourself).” IDL