VICE President Leni Robredo on Thursday broke her silence over “lies” and an organized misinformation campaign being waged against her on social media, vowing to fight back against attacks on her persona.
Saying it is “dangerous to keep silent on false claims and lies,” Robredo said allowing such misinformation to continue would only help shape the mindset of the people.
She said it is “everyone’s responsibility” to call out lies, as she spoke to reporters at the sidelines of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines’ Central Luzon Regional Conference and Mandatory Continuing Legal Education in Pampanga.
“Many opinions have been shaped by lies. We have kept silent for much too long. That is wrong. I must admit, that is not right. But it is not yet too late to correct. And now we have realized it is wrong to [just] keep silent. We really have to call every time the attention of others of what is wrong,” the vice president said.
Robredo also turned to social media to answer those who hurled false accusations against her, saying such a move was important, particularly in the ongoing electoral protest filed by former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. against her at the Supreme Court acting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal.
She dismissed reports that she lost 21,000 votes in the ongoing manual recount, citing the misinformation was just designed to discredit her and to condition the people’s minds.
“Obviously, that is just propaganda. Maybe, that is just meant to condition the minds of the public. But I ask, if you are claiming you won, why do you have to resort to fake news? There is no such need to do so if you really think you won,” the vice president noted, referring to Marcos.
“Some say the news come from an insider information. That’s not true. What is true is that this came from a public relations machinery of Mr. Marcos. You could see, like for example 5,000 votes were allegedly reduced [from my total votes]. I find it hard to believe such came from an insider since it [report] was written in the same manner. So, it is very obvious this is a propaganda,” she said.