An 8-year-old interview of Vice President Leni Robredo has been recycled by a Facebook page to trigger doubt on her motivation for running for president in this year’s elections.
Facebook page Jevara PH posted Dec. 23 a 3-minute video containing excerpts from the interview to insinuate that Robredo was running for president to save the Liberal Party. Its caption was based on a quote from the 2013 video and reads:
"..TUMAKBO LANG NAMAN AKO TO SAVE THE PARTY.." - LENI 2013
Jevara PH also looped the audio of Robredo voicing the spotlighted quote, followed by a recent video of the presidential aspirant dancing alongside her Cebuano supporters.
The post has led netizens to question Robredo’s integrity and motives as a candidate in this year’s elections.
Despite being the chairperson of the Liberal Party, Robredo is running as an independent candidate, not under her party.
The misleading clip was taken from an ANC 24/7 interview with Karen Davila in May 2013, days after Robredo had beaten Nelly Villafuerte, a member of “one of the longest-serving political dynasties in the country,” for the congressional seat in Camarines Sur under the Liberal Party.
Asked if she regretted her decision to pursue local election over national election, the Senate, Robredo, widow of former Naga City mayor and Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, said:
Hindi ganun. Naiisip ko na ‘siguro tama sila nga na mas madali manalo sa national’ kasi yung local talagang patronage. Unang-una, I was running against a well-entrenched family na nasa posisyon na since 1978–elementary palang ako nun. Tapos, marami nang utang na loob sa kanila. Marami nang favors na na-dispense. Maraming binibigay. Hindi ganun yung pulitika na nakagisnan ko (It’s not like that. I’ve been thinking that maybe they’re right that it’s easier to win in the national elections because local is really all about patronage. First, I was running against a well-entrenched family who have been in the position since 1978–I was still in grade school then. Then, there’s much debt of gratitude to them. A lot of favors have been dispensed. Much has been given. It’s not the politics that I got used to).
She added:
All the lessons I have learned in politics I have learned from my husband. He was a very different kind of politician. So hirap na hirap ako na i-embrace yung nakikita ko. So sinasabi ko ‘tama siguro sila (I had difficulty embracing what I saw). So sinasabi ko ‘tama siguro sila (I said, ‘Maybe they’re right) I would have had an easier time had I run for Senate.’ Pero sa akin naman (But, for me) it was never an option. Tumakbo lang naman ako (I just ran) to save the party. Tumakbo lang naman ako (I just ran) because I knew that I was the only one who had a chance to beat the political dynasty. So, kung regret na (if it was regret) ‘I should have run for the Senate,’ hindi naman (not really).
Robredo’s 2013 response on running “to save the party” was in reaction to the appeals she had received from the local party for her to run and put an end to the political dynasty.
This is not the first time that Jevara PH has been fact-checked.
The misleading video has generated 31,000 views, 1,755 interactions, 324 comments and 473 shares as of writing. It has also been shared to Facebook groups SAMA-SAMA TAYONG BABANGON MULI BBM LOGO, BBM FOR PRESIDENT VOLUNTEERS MOVEMENT and BBM Supporters as well as on Tiktok. The Facebook groups publish posts in support of presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and have thousands of members.
Jevara PH has accumulated 485,000 followers since it was created in 2017. Its posts mostly express support for the Duterte administration, the Marcoses, and Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s UniTeam. (LKA)
References
ANC 24/7. (2013, May 22). Leni Robredo: Continuing Jesse Robredo's legacy of leadership [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJAwOZTGNC4
Del Castillo, W. (2021, December 25). [Video attached]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/851192668905138/posts/887791305245274/
Del Castillo, W. (2021, December 25). [Video attached]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1299453343829184/posts/1341444629630055/
Del Castillo, W. (2021, December 25). [Video attached]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/190601649897342/posts/218123137145193/
Jevara PH. (2021, December 23). "..TUMAKBO LANG NAMAN AKO TO SAVE THE PARTY.." - LENI 2013 [Video] [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?extid=NS-UNK-UNK-UNK-IOS_GK0T-GK1C&v=640191350495387
Rappler. (2013, November 13). Political dynasties in CamSur run for 2013, campaign early. https://www.rappler.com/nation/elections/16292-political-dynasties-in-camsur-run-for-2013-campaign-early/
Rappler. (2021, August 22). KULANG SA KONTEKSTO: Nilabag ni Robredo ang election law sa paggamit ng 2016 campaign funds. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/robredo-committed-election-violation-campaign-funds-2016-filipino/
Robredo, L. [@lenirobredo]. (2021, November 13). Dami nangyayari Pero gaya ni Mareng Taylor: I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling ‘22 Chill lang tayo [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/lenirobredo/status/1459507387216269316?s=20
Sarao, Z. (2021, October 7). Robredo files COC for president in 2022 polls. Inquirer.net. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1498334/robredo-files-coc-for-president-in-2022-polls