As Vice President Leni Robredo’s campaign gathers momentum, her rivals for the presidency are busy coming up with fake news, her spokesman said as he also denied allegations that their camp is in talks with a communist leader.
Robredo’s spokesman Barry Gutierrez noted that after grand rallies that drew tens of thousands of supporters, their camp has come to expect the worst news from the Vice President’s rivals.
“So, natural na 'yan na meron talagang paninirang mangyayari (But that’s natural that there will be defamations that will happen),” he spoke in a radio interview over dwIZ on Monday, April 25.
“Talagang paninira lang 'yan dahil nararamdaman na ng ibang mga kalaban siguro namin na medyo lumalakas itong kampanya ni VP Leni (These are really just defamations because the rivals can feel that VP Leni’s campaign is gaining strength),” Gutierrez added.
A news report earlier alleged that Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, the exiled founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is advising both Robredo and Gutierrez.
The former lawmaker said he and Robredo had never talked with Sison, and they had made no efforts to do so.
READ: Trillanes hits 'desperate' rivals linking Robredo to CCP's Joma Sison
On Saturday, April 23, a mammoth crowd of supporters filled the stretch of Macapagal Blvd. from J.W. Diokno Blvd. to the corner of Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) to attend the birthday rally of Robredo, who turned 57 years old.
Gutierrez attributed the success of Robredo’s rallies to her supporters, who take the time to get to know her platforms and invest their money, time, and effort into campaigning for the Vice President.
“Maski sa labas ng mga malalaking rally, 'yung pangangampanya, madami diyan mga volunteers na nagkukusa na mag house-to-house, makipag-usap sa ibang tao para mangumbinsi na sumuporta din kay VP Leni (Even outside the big rallies, the campaigning, many of those are volunteers who do house-to-house to talk with others to convince them to support VP Leni),” the former lawmaker said.
The spokesman added that it has truly become a “people’s campaign” being carried out by Robredo’s campaign volunteers and supporters.
But he also did not forget to give credit to many big-named celebrities, such as Vice Ganda, Angel Locsin, and Piolo Pascual, who endorsed Robredo’s presidential bid.
Vice Ganda had just expressed her support for the Vice President during the rally last Saturday, raising her hand and asking people to vote for her.
Photos on social media also showed Vice Ganda and Locsin throwing a pre-birthday bash for Robredo over the weekend.
“Pero talagang tingin ko, paniniwala lang sila din. Ito, tiwala kay (But I think, they trust. This, they trust) VP Leni, at 'yung (and her) brand niya ng (of) governance,” Gutierrez said.
He hoped that many more will see the “truth” about Robredo, what she did, and what she is fighting for.
“Dahil tingin ko, kung gagawin nila 'yun, makita 'yung katotohanan, lalo pang dadami at lalakas ang suporta para sa kanya (Because I think, if they will do that, see the truth, the more stronger the support will be for her),” he added.