Vice President and opposition leader Leni Robredo on Wednesday chose to promote a local apparel brand instead of getting back at critics for her ‘Miss Tapia’ looks during her last Monday’s public address.
(OVP / Facebook / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Nakakalungkot man na ’yung pinansin at hindi ‘yung laman ng sinabi, di ko gusto kong patulan kasi it’s an opportunity to advocate for #supportlocal,” she said in a Facebook post.
Robredo, whose bashers likened her outfit to late actress Mely Tagasa’s Miss Tapia character in “Iskul Bukol,” said she was wearing a purple dress with brooch from Bayo, a homegrown fashion brand in the Philippines.
“Matagal na po kami ng mga anak ko na fans ng Bayo. Wala pa ako sa politika (I and my children have been longtime fans of Bayo. I’m not yet in politics),” she said.
The vice president took the opportunity to show her support to the local clothing company, which she said, also made personal protective equipment (PPE) sets for frontline workers.
“Lalo akong humanga sa kanila nung naka partner namin sila sa pagtahi ng PPEs dahil dun po namin sila nakilala ng lubos. Napakabait na employers at mapagkalinga sa kanilang mga mananahi,” she said.
Robredo has been bashed online since she assumed office in 2016, and she’s not holding back now.
Just recently after her public address, actress and staunch Duterte supporter Vivian Velez criticized Robredo’s physical appearance as the “worst kind of political branding.”
Velez said Robredo’s team wanted her to “look smarter” as she addressed the nation.
“Obviously, they want to make her look smarter (kasi nga boba) [because she’s an idiot) with those glasses on and books on the table, not to mention the color choice of her outfit,” she said.
“Ano ‘to, shooting? Playing ‘the president’ daw sya? (What is this? Is she playing ’the president?),” Velez added.
The lady official also addressed criticisms of her wearing eyeglasses and her hair in a ponytail.
Robredo said she has tied her hair that way because it has grown longer and it is easier to wear a face mask since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
“'Yung salamin, dati naman po akong nagsasalamin. Matagal na. Hindi ko lang tinanggal ngayon kasi bahagi siya ng proteksiyon laban sa virus (For the glasses, I have been wearing it for a long time. I didn’t just take it off because it’s part of my protection against the virus),” she said.