VICE President Leni’s camp is studying the possibility of filing libel charges against two newspapers and other media outfits that carried stories claiming that CPP founder Jose Ma. Sison is one of the opposition presidential candidate’s advisers.
“Hindi na puwedeng basta i-correct lang, hindi na puwedeng basta palagpasin (This can’t simply be corrected, we can’t let it pass),” Robredo’s spokesman Ibarra Gutierrez told Teleradyo.
Gutierrez did not identify the media outfits but said the Vice President has ordered her legal team to study their options to possibly “pursue legal actions because this isn’t right.”
“Di ba, ‘yung ganitong fabrication, imbento talaga, pawang kasinungalingan (This kind of fabrication, it was really just invented, it’s an outright lie),” said the former Akbayan party-list lawmaker.
A newspaper (not Malaya) has earlier came out with a story quoting a television report claiming that Sison had admitted serving as an adviser to the Vice President and that he was a “leading contributor” in her campaign.
The same story also came out in a tabloid, which is owned by the first cousins of presidential aspirant former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Sison has already denied that he was ever a consultant of Robredo, saying it is obviously just “fake news concocted by Marcos in the hope of lending credibility to claims of ‘coalition’ between the Robredo camp and the CPP in the hope of consolidating the support of the anticommunist military and police officers for Marcos.”
“Hindi lang ito basta parang anonymous na kinalat na fake news sa Facebook o sa YouTube, talagang merong byline, talagang nilabas sa isang diyaryo (This isn’t just an anonymous fake news on Facebook or YouTube, it had a byline, it really came out in one paper),” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez said they have to call out the author and the editors because “if we don’t go after them and seek accountability, this might become the norm among some members of the journalistic profession.”
PANGASINAN
Yesterday in Pangasinan, Rep. Christopher De Venecia of the province’s fourth district and her mother Gina accompanied Robredo’s daughter Aika in campaigning in Mangaldan where a multi-sectoral assembly was held. The De Venecias endorsed Robredo during a grand rally in the province last April 8, 2022.
Aika also attended a multi-sectoral assembly in Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan and visited a market in San Carlos where she was warmly welcomed by market vendors and supporters.
To cover more grounds with two weeks left before election day, Jillian Robredo, the Vice President’s youngest daughter, visited Batanes where Gov. Marilou Cayco formally endorsed Robredo, saying that “during our most difficult times in Batanes, Leni showed up.”
For his part, “Tropang Angat” senatorial candidate former senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV said the first order of business of a Robredo presidency will be to implement post-COVID recovery programs to reinvigorate MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) and improve the purchasing power of people.”
Trillanes, who is again running for senator under the banner of Robredo, said the legislative priority of the new administration will be a slew of economic policies that will include financial aid for those most affected by the pandemic.
“Yan po ang marching orders doon sa buong Senate slate ni VP Leni (That’s the marching orders for the whole Senate slate of VP Leni kasi (because) within the first 100 days, kailangan natin itong ipasa lalo na yung ating ekonomiya (we have to pass these laws, especially those concerning the economy),” he told Robredo’s radio program on RMN last Sunday.
Among the measures that would be implemented are: unemployment insurance, financial aid to small businesses, and an expanded cash aid program or “ayuda” for poor families.
Unemployment insurance is one of the big-ticket programs of Robredo’s “Hanapbuhay Para sa Lahat” project that she unveiled earlier this year.
Also under implementation is the aid to small businesses or MSMEs, which account for 62% of the country’s total employment.
Under Robredo’s Hanapbuhay Para sa Lahat, MSMEs will be given wider access to credit and integration into public procurement programs.
SWITCHING SIDES
A faction of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas jumped fences from Manila Mayor and Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso to Robredo in the latest defection of Moreno’s supporters less than two weeks before the May 9 elections.
The faction led by PFP’s national chairperson and former commissioner of the National Commission for Muslim Filipinos Ahubakar Mangelen endorsed Moreno last month, with Mangelen even reading the party’s resolution naming him as their candidate during his team’s campaign sortie in Iligan City.
But in a party resolution dated April 19, Mangelen said the PFP decided to switch sides and support Robredo.
“This decision is a party decision, has undergone consultations with its members nationwide, and is a unanimous and cohesive decision,” the new resolution said.
“The party believes in the leadership of VP Leni and her competence and experience to lead the country out of the pandemic and economic crisis into recovery and progress with good, clean and inclusive governance and timely, effective and efficient public service,” it added.
The PFP also said it decided to support Robredo after realizing she is the strongest candidate to beat Marcos in the upcoming polls.
“With time running out and with recent developments, the party believes that there is a need for a more formidable team and candidate to beat a common opponent and one who poses the greatest threat to our country and our democracy, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. We believe that Marcos Jr. is one of the least qualified among the candidates, even President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said he is ‘weak leader,” the party said.
It also cited Robredo’s “exponential surge” in survey numbers as well as the groundswell of support as among the reason that she can beat Marcos Jr.in the election.
Mangelen said the party members, supporters and volunteers will now “vigorously campaign” for Robredo to beat the “common enemy,” referring to Marcos.
The Moreno camp has yet to comment on the latest defection to hit the ranks of their supporters. — With Ashzel Hachero
