Two of President Rodrigo Duterte’s top aides on Wednesday apologized to Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo for saying she rode a government plane for her relief efforts in typhoon-hit areas.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana clarified that Robredo did not board a military aircraft en route to Catanduanes on Nov. 3, disproving Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo’s earlier claim that the vice president used a C-130 plane.
Robredo’s spokesman Barry Gutierrez also debunked Panelo’s accusation.
“Nakakalungkot lang, tumutulong si VP sa mga tinamaan ng bagyo at baha, at imbes na suporta, paninira at kasinungalingan ang binabato. Ano ba ang mga ito, lingkod bayan o troll?” he wrote on Twitter.
Sec Panelo should get his facts straight. VP Leni DID NOT use a govt C130 plane bringing aid to Bicol. Nakakalungkot lang, tumutulong si VP sa mga tinamaan ng bagyo at baha, at imbes na suporta, paninira at kasinungalingan ang binabato. Ano ba ang mga ito, lingkod bayan o troll?
— Barry Gutierrez (@barrygutierrez3) November 17, 2020
“I requested the Philippine Air Force to confirm through their flight manifest and they reported that there was no instance that Vice President Robredo boarded any military aircraft in going to Catanduanes,” Lorenzana said in a statement.
Panelo, in an interview over ANC, said he immediately apologized upon learning he was given false information.
Robredo on Tuesday slammed Panelo for peddling fake news just as she called out Duterte for going on a misinformed rant against her.
“So iyong sa akin, ang mga sunod-sunod na nangyayari nagpapakita na iyong peddlers of fake news nasa paligid mismo ni presidente. At tingin ko, malaking kasalanan iyon para kay presidente for him to react that way, nagre-react siya sa isang false information. Kaya sa akin, iyong pakiusap ko lang: ang dami nang peddlers of fake news sa atin; huwag na nilang dagdagan,” Robredo said in a Facebook live address.
“Iyon iyong pakiusap ko, huwag na nilang dagdagan kasi sobrang dami na. Sobrang dami na ng peddlers of false information. Ang pinakakawawa rito iyong ordinaryong taumbayan na naa-access iyong kanilang sinasabi at napapaniwala nila sa maling impormasyon,” she added. John Ezekiel J. Hirro