Vice President Leni Robredo insisted on Saturday, Oct. 30, that she will never be affected by paid online "trolls".
In a media interview in Camarines Norte, Robredo shared a conversation she had with the priests in the province who asked her about the vicious attacks she has received on social media.
“Ang parati ko ngang sagot, ‘Lugi nga sa akin iyong mga trolls kasi hindi ako naaapektuhan.’ Nakikita niyo naman (What I always say is, ‘The trolls are at a loss with me because I am not affected.’ You can see that), in the last five and a half years, kung ano-ano iyong paratang sa akin pero hindi ko lahat pinansin (they keep throwing accusations against me but I don’t mind them),” she said.
The Vice President said her focus has always been on her work since she has a small mandate and fewer resources.
“Kasi kung papansinin ko iyong lahat na paninira sa akin na wala namang katuturan, nagsasayang lang ako ng oras at emosyon (Because if I will focus on all the attacks against me, I will just waste time and emotion),” she said.
Robredo has been the target of supporters of the present administration ever since she won in 2016. She’s been called "lugaw (porridge) queen" after her own supporters sold porridge in a fund-raising event for the previous elections.
READ: Robredo deplores gov't-backed trolls
The opposition leader claims that trolls have been spreading fake news about her, twisting her words to make her look “bobo (stupid),” a term used by her critics.
The Vice President, whose volunteers have been actively campaigning in a sea of pink caravans and motorcades the past few weeks, said her focus is on her own campaign and not the goings-on of other presidential aspirants.
“Dahil late na ako nag-decide, marami akong hahabulin kaya wala talaga akong panahon tumingin sa iba. Pero ang magde-decide kasi niyan taumbayan (Because I decided late, I need to keep up so I don’t have time to look at what others are doing. But the ones who will decide are the people),” Robredo added.
Robredo was in Camarines Norte on Saturday to attend the oath-taking of the new members of Solid Leni Bicol, one of the local volunteer groups supporting her candidacy. She also met with Daet Bishop Rex Alarcon during her visit.
READ: Robredo campaign gaining ground; strong volunteer support noted — Trillanes
She said that her team can't help but feel “energized” these days because of her volunteers' efforts.
“Iyon iyong gusto naming ma-harness. Pero walang—hindi kami mag-aaksaya ng oras na titingnan iyong iba kasi ang dami naming kailangang gawin from our side (That’s what we want to harness. But there’s no—we’re not going to waste time looking at others because we need to do a lot from our side),” she added.