VICE President Leni Robredo yesterday advised her supporters not to stoop down to the level of trolls paid by her rivals and to always “fight smart” by telling the truth.
“Huwag tayong gagaya sa game nila. Truth warriors lang tayo. ‘Pag nakikita natin ‘yung disinformation, we fight smart. Isip tayo ng pamamaraan paano ba natin ire-refute ‘yung mga kasinungalingan na hindi tayo bumababa sa level nila (Let’s not play their game.
We’re truth warriors. When we see disinformation, we fight smart. Let’s think of ways to refute their lies without sinking to their level),” Robredo said.
The presidential aspirant made the call in an online meeting with about 1,500 supporters and volunteers across the country, where she thanked everyone for their “commitment, passion and energy” in helping her 2022 bid for the presidency.
The virtual meeting was hosted by Dapat Si Leni!, one of Robredo’s biggest volunteer groups, and joined by volunteers from 50 organizations and international chapters through four social media platforms.
Among those who joined the meeting were the Bedans for Leni and the Debaters for Leni.
The Vice President issued the appeal in the wake of the online battle between her supporters and those of fellow presidential aspirants Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Moreno earlier said the national elections should not be reduced to a battle between the Marcoses and the “yellows” led by the Aquino family, lambasting Robredo as a “fake leader with a fake color” after her supporters called for the withdrawal of his candidacy.
Before she declared her intention to join the presidential race, Robredo held a series of meetings with Moreno and presidential aspirants Senators Manny Pacquiao and Panfilo Lacson in a bid to field a united opposition.
Robredo has said that one of the reasons she eventually decided to run for president was Moreno’s stand on the Marcos. Moreno has said he admires the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos while criticizing his administration’s human rights abuses.
While she admits having no machinery or resources unlike her rivals, Robredo called on her supporters to beef up their ranks to counter the vast resources of and even the troll farms of their rivals, saying their “energy and enthusiasm are more than enough to fuel and inspire her to fight with even more vigor.”
Robredo is chairman of the Liberal Party identified with the Aquinos but she is running as an independent candidate.
Robredo also met with almost 900 supporters and volunteers from Iloilo Wednesday, who collectively call themselves “Pink Iloilo,” to express her gratitude for supporting her presidential run.
“Pink Iloilo,” composed of volunteer lawyers, paralegals, law students, doctors, medical students, medical practitioners, medical representatives, educators, businessmen, entrepreneurs, and all other professionals and volunteers, earlier released a manifesto of support for Robredo, her running mate Sen. Kiko Pangilinan and their senatorial slate.
MAKABAYAN BET
Deputy speaker Lito Atienza said the Makabayan Coalition has endorsed the presidential bid of his partner, Pacquiao.
“That’s what I’ve heard from them (Makabayan),” Atienza told a news forum in Quezon City. “They have already endorsed (the presidential bid) of (Sen.) Manny Pacquiao.”
Bayan Muna party-list chairman Neri Colmenares of Makabayan said belied Atienza’s claim and said their group remains undecided on who to support for president next year, even if Pacquiao has already included Makabayan’s bet, Neri Colmenares in his senatorial slate.
“(It’s) Not true. Makabayan has not declared support for any candidate,” he said.
Colmenares earlier said Makabayan still needs to discuss a lot of things with presidential candidates, particularly the nitty-gritty of their stand on particular issues like labor contractualization.
KICKED OUT
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, Senate energy committee chairman who presided the Department of Energy budget briefing, ordered Melvin Matibag, National Transmission Corporation president, to be removed as a resource person after he alleged that the budget briefing has turned “political.”
Matibag belongs to one faction of the ruling PDP-Laban party led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi. The other faction is led by Pacquiao and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III.
Matibag was kicked out after he asked Pacquiao why he is being linked to alleged irregularities involving the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP), a private company.
“Alam niyo let’s call a spade a spade dito sa hearing na ito, this all political, Senator Pacquiao. Alam naman natin na ito ang pinapasabi mo bago ka umalis eh, nung umalis ka na sinabi mong mayroong kang pasabog
(You know, let’s call a spade a spade in this hearing, this is all political, Senator Pacquiao. We all know that this what you said before you left [for your boxing match], that when you left you said you will drop a bomb),” Matibag said.
Gatchalian called out Matibag. “This is my committee and you have no right to call this hearing a political hearing. This is a budget hearing, the senators are entitled to ask policy questions… You are out of order. You are no longer recognized. We’ve given you a chance to answer the policy question but instead insulted this committee by calling this a political hearing. Hindi naman fair yun (That is unfair),” Gatchalian said.
Pimentel then asked Gatchalian what the committee will do since Matibag was declared out of order.
Gatchalian responded: “He should leave the hearing. We will remove him from the Webex list. I am directing the committee secretary to remove Atty. Matibag from the list of Webex.
He is out of order.”
Pacquiao apologized for the commotion and said that Matibag was “disrespectful.”
Cusi also apologized.
Pacquiao earlier said millions of Filipino households and businessmen are unaware they are paying hidden charges on their electric bills due to Cusi’s alleged anomalous scheme in the management and operation of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).
He the irregularity in the management and operation of WESM can be likened to anomalies unearthed by the Senate involving the Department of Health and the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management in the Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation issue and the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Starpay mess.
This time, he said, DOE has been involved in alleged irregularities involving the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC) and the IEMOP, a private company.
Despite the provision in the Electric Power Industry Reform Act that there should only be one independent market operator, Pacquiao said Cusi retained the previous market operator, PEMC, apparently to manage the operation of the IEMOP and serve as the collecting agent for the market transaction fees, which is divided between PEMC and IEMOP.
Matibag, who is also the secretary general of PDP-Laban Cusi faction, said.
“It is clear as day that Senator Manny Pacquiao is exploiting the Senate budget hearing to retaliate against me for his ouster in PDP-Laban where he was forced to use an inconsequential and an inactive political party in PROMDI for his presidential ambition.”
POWER TAX CUTS
Moreno, in a dialogue with farmers and residents of Barangay Banaba in Tarlac City, he will move to cut taxes on crude oil and electricity by up to 50 percent, even if government will lose revenue, if he wins the presidency next year.
He said tax collections would be reduced but the people will have more cash on hand. With enough savings, the people would have enough purchasing power for products, thereby stimulating the economy, especially in a time like this when the economy is facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
He explained that with less taxes on crude and electricity, foreign investors would be enticed to put their money in the country, creating more jobs and eventually more revenue for the government.
2018 data of the International Energy Consultants showed that the Philippines was second to Japan with the highest power rates in Asia with a per kilowatt hour price of P8.96 compared to the latter’s P12. 31. Singapore was at third place at P8.83 per kilowatt hour, Hong Kong at P6.53 and Thailand at P6.23. — With Raymond Africa, Jocelyn Montemayor and Ashzel Hachero
