Old Robredo video misused as support for Marcos

A pro-Marcos Facebook reel has misleadingly repurposed an old video of former vice president and now Naga City mayoral candidate Leni Robredo to falsely suggest that she supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and sees him as a leader who “shows up in the most difficult times.”

The misleading video was posted on April 16 by the Facebook page Unofficial PBBM News with the caption:

Thank you Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo! 👏 #MarcosPaRin

An overlay text of the reel read:

Thank you Leni for supporting Marcos.

In truth, the video was lifted from CNN Philippines’ presidential debate held on Feb. 27, 2022 at the University of Santo Tomas. Robredo and the other presidential candidates attended the debate except Marcos who, according to CNN, declined the invitation.

At 1:42:08 mark, Robredo stressed the importance of electoral debates, saying:

‘Yung number one ingredient din ng leadership aside from character is you show up in the most difficult times. Pag hindi ka mag-show up in the most difficult times, hindi ka leader (Also the number one ingredient of leadership, aside from character, is you show up in the most difficult times. If you do not show up in the most difficult times, you are not a leader).

The misleading video overlays Robredo’s audio with images of Marcos visiting disaster-hit areas. A Google reverse image search showed that most of these photos were taken during his visit to flooded areas battered by typhoon “Carina” in July 2024.

The post also incorrectly identified Robredo as Naga City’s mayor. Nelson Legacion is the current mayor, while Robredo is running for the position in the May 12 elections.

Some netizens praised Marcos and expressed regret that Robredo is not the current vice president.

Unofficial PBBM News was created in July 2024 and has over 14,000 followers. As of writing, the misleading video has garnered 9,800 views, 358 reactions, 54 comments and 77 shares. (JAG)