Vice President Leni Robredo and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno never boasted that they were the opposition’s best bets to defeat a Sara Duterte-Bongbong Marcos tandem in the 2022 elections as a YouTube video has falsely claimed.
The headline, thumbnail and opening spiel of the 9-minute video posted June 23 on Robin Sweet Showbiz channel misreported that Robredo and Moreno made the remarks when they met June 22 at the CCP Complex for the pilot run of the Office of the Vice President’s Vaccine Express program for tricycle, pedicab, and delivery drivers in Manila.
The headline of Robin Sweet Showbiz’s video reads:
LENI-ISKO NAGYBANG SA MANILA! SILA DAW GIGIBA SA DUTERTE-MARCOS (Leni-Isko boasted in Manila that they could defeat the Duterte-Marcos tandem)!
The text on the thumbnail reads:
ISKO MORENO AT LENI ROBREDO NAGKITA SA MANILA! LENI MAS PINILI SAKYAN ANG POPULARIDAD NI ISKO!
LE-KO 2022 ANG GIGBA SA DUTERTE-MARCOS!
LENI AT ISKO NAGYABANG NA SA BUONG KAMAYNILAAN SILA DAW ANG GIGIBA SA TANDEM NG DUTERTE-MARCOS
(Isko Moreno and Leni Robredo met in Manila! Leni decided to ride Isko’s popularity! Le-Ko 2022 will destroy the Duterte-Marcos tandem! Leni and Isko boasted all over Metro Manila that they would destroy the Duterte-Marcos tandem).”
According to the video’s opening spiel:
Nagkita na ang dalawang pulpulitiko na si Mayor Isko Moreno and Leni Robredo sila nga daw ang malakas na magiging pambato ng oposisyon na siyang tatalo sa tandem ni Mayor Sara Duterte at Bongbong Marcos (Mayor Isko and Leni Robredo finally met, they claim that they are the opposition’s best bets to defeat a Sara Duterte-Bongbong Marcos tandem).
Both Robredo and Moreno were on the opposition coalition 1Sambayan’s initial list of presidential and vice presidential nominees. On June 12, Moreno asked the coalition to delist him.
Robredo and Moreno made no reference at all to Davao City Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Duterte and former senator and defeated vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the event or in Robin Sweet Showbiz’s own video.
In an interview with journalists during the rollout of Vaccine Express in Manila, Moreno lauded the initiative of the vice president and thanked Robredo’s office for lending a helping hand to the city.
Moreno said:
Ito talaga, idea nila (OVP) ito na mag-create ng (This is really the OVP’s idea to create an) additional effort to help local government units like the City of Manila. And we’re very grateful with all the logistics given to us by the Office of the Vice President.
Ngayon, nakikita ninyo nagbenepisyo iyong mga economic drivers natin and we’re very happy and excited na ito, matutuloy bukas at iyong kanina (Today, you can see that our economic drivers are benefiting and we’re very happy and excited).
Robredo said the ‘Vaccine Express’ initiative was designed for individuals who do not have or could not find time to go to vaccination centers, fall in line and have themselves vaccinated against COVID-19.
She said:
Ito iyong mga tao na mas gusto sana mas kaunti iyong istorbo sa hanapbuhay nila, na hindi na sila pupunta kung saan, maghihintay ng half day o whole day para mabakunahan. Ito, in a matter of minutes tapos na sila (These are for the people who would like to keep their work going; to not invest much time going to somewhere, wait for half a day or whole day just to receive the shots. Here, in a matter of minutes, they’re done).
Asked if the partnership will continue up until the 2022 elections, Moreno and Robredo answered that their current focus is fighting the pandemic and the idea of joining forces is still “farfetched.”
Robredo said:
Napakahalaga na yung nilalapitan na LGU, hindi yung 2022 yung tinitignan. Kasi yung pandemic naman, wala political color ito, di ba? Yung trabaho namin, hindi kami dapat tumitingin sa, 'Preparation ba to for 2022?' And we are so grateful to the City of Manila, kasi nung prinopose namin sa kanila, um-oo kaagad sila tapos yung suportang binigay sa amin, all out
(It is important that the LGU we partnered with is not considering the 2022 elections. There are no political colors when fighting the pandemic; it is our job. We should not see this initiative as a preparation for 2022. We are so grateful to the City of Manila; when we proposed this initiative it said yes without hesitations and gave its all-out support to this initiative).”=
Moreno, meanwhile, said:
Di natin alam (We don’t know). Maybe I’ll retire, she’ll retire. Everybody can rest, or maybe I don’t know. That is masyadong far-fetched dahil what matter most today is yung pandemic, dahil may health threat sa tao (That is too far-fetched because the most pressing concern right now is the pandemic, which threatens people’s health).
As of writing, the YouTube video has garnered 11,230 views, 364 likes, and 43 dislikes.
Robin Sweet Showbiz was created on July 25, 2017. It has 189,000 subscribers and more than 15 million views. (SJH)
References
ABS-CBN News. (2021, June 17). Isko, Leni partner up for vaccination event but remain mum on 2022 plans.
ABS-CBN News. (2021, June 22). Isko, Leni 'nag-tandem' sa vaccination drive; plano sa 2022 inusisa [Video]. YouTube.
Cator, C. (2021, June 23). Robredo rolls out 'vaccine express.' The Manila Times.
Ragasa, F. (2021, June 22). LOOK: OVP kickstarts ‘Vaccine Express’ drive in Manila. Inquirer.net.
Rappler. (2021, June 22). VP Leni Robredo and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno at the vaccination express for transportation sector. [Live Stream]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDf_AJ9lHlk
Robin Sweet Showbiz. (2021, June 23). LENI-ISKO NAGYBANG SA MANILA! SILA DAW GIGIBA SA DUTERTE-MARCOS! [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bm_yVbTjvA&t=140s
Robredo, L. (2021, June 20). OVP’s Vaccine Express partnership with the city of Manila [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/leni.robredo/posts/10222340866162853