Many of Vice President Leni Robredo’s bashers shared a “confusing statement” from an interview with Ogie Diaz on social media and it went viral on Thursday, October 28, that prompted the latter to react.
In the post that circulated, Robredo said: “Dito sa office ‘pag bumababa ako on the ground, yung parati naming pinag-aawayan lagi yung protocols? Kaya yung feeling ko Ogie kaya kami bumababa para tumulong kami ng nasa baba. Hindi yung parang bababa kami pero nakadisturbo pa kami ng nasa baba? So, yun lang naman madalas. Ako ayoko kahit marami akong baba na di alam nung nasa baba na bababa ako.”
This prompted some Netizens to have Diaz clarify what really transpired on that day.
Sir @ogiediaz nagkalat po ito sa FB. Totoo po ba ito? pic.twitter.com/Ge2uAQtz2i
— joey (@engrjoey28) October 26, 2021
Diaz then reacted to the statement and clarified that it was fake.
“Eh hindi mapagbintangan ng corruption, immbentuhan na lang ng katsipan. Laging tandaan: ang taong sinungaling ay laging naghahagilap ng sasabihin,” he wrote.
https://twitter.com/ogiediaz/status/1453065304083296256?s=20
The statement of the Vice President was from an interview with Diaz on his YouTube channel dated October 16, 2020.
However, it was an edited statement meant to discredit Robredo.
What transpired was that Diaz inquired if Robredo had a time when she have to be angry at her staff.
“Wala namang dahilan para magalit nang grabe. Sa’kin hindi pa nga yun galit eh, parang mas naiinis. ‘Pag sa deadline hindi nakaka-submit,” she answered.
Robredo then continued her explanation saying, “Yung madalas na skirmish namin dito sa office, kapag bumababa ako on the ground.”
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Robredo and her office were busy assisting those severely affected and have lost their livelihood.
Being a public servant, Robredo meant to provide relief and not cause disturbance whenever she conducts visitations to communities she helps.
“Halimbawa pupunta ako sa community, yung parati naming pinag-aawayan lagi yung protocols. Kasi yung feeling ko Ogie kaya kami bumababa, para tumulong kami sa nasa baba. Hindi yung bababa kami, pero nakaistorbo pa kami sa nasa baba dahil sa protocols namin.
“Halimbawa recently umikot ako sa mga sewing groups namin, yung mga nagtatahi ng mga PPEs. Yung bilin ko sa kanila, walang makakaalam na pupunta ako. Kasi kapag nakakaalam, parang grabe yung paghahanda, parang nakaistorbo pa tuloy kami.”
Robredo in March 2020, provided sewing groups a job to become the manufacturer of personal protective equipment (PPEs) that she and her office would distribute to health workers serving as front liners against COVID-19 and has continued to do so through donation drives.
On August 20, 2020, Robredo earned the support of local PPE makers as both of them sought more government aid for small businesses.
Days after the YouTube interview, the OVP, together with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) launched a program that aimed to provide free technical-vocational skills and employability training for over 1,000 unemployed and out-of-school Filipino youth.
