Robredo says Marcos is behind smear campaign against her daughter Aika

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union - Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday accused the camp of fellow presidential candidate and former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. of being behind the smear campaign against her daughter Aika with less than a month to go before election day.

Robredo was referring to online content falsely featuring Aika in deepfake pornographic content.

She also referred to Facebook posts falsely claiming that the Office of the Vice President is soliciting funds for a drug rehabilitation center project.

"Hindi ako nagugulat dahil ito na talaga ang kalakaran noong kalaban simula nu'ng natalo siya noong 2016. Simula noong 2016, inulan na ako ng fake news. Pero hindi ako nababawasan [dahil sa fake news]. Ang nababawasan, iyong napapaniwala niya," Robredo told reporters after a campaign stop here in Pangasinan, a province said to be part of the Solid North, a bailiwick of Marcos.

(I am not surprised because this has always been their ploy since he lost in 2016. Since 2016, I have been peppered with fake news. But such fake news did not decimate me. It only decimates those people who were made to believe the lies.)

Asked if she was referring to Bongbong Marcos, Robredo quickly responded, "Oo naman. Kasi ginawa na niya 'yan sa akin noong 2016. Consistently ginagawa 'yan sa akin nu'ng nag-pick up iyong numbers ko noong 2016 election. Noong hindi pa nagpi-pick up iyong numbers ko, hindi naman ako pinapansin. Nu'ng nag-pick up, nasa receiving end na ako ng lahat ng kasinungalingan."

(Yes. Because he did the same thing to me in 2016. Consistently he has been doing this to me when my survey numbers picked up during the 2016 election. When my numbers were not picking up, I was unnoticed. When they picked up, I was the target of all the lies.)

Robredo beat Marcos by 263,473 votes in the 2016 vice presidential race. Marcos protested his loss before the Supreme Court, but the High Court upheld Robredo's victory in 2020.

Robredo said such smear campaigns are reflective of what governance, or lack of it, her political foe espouses.

"The lawyers will take legal action, but kami ng mga bata, we refuse to be deterred. Kung paano sila lumaban ngayon, ganu'n rin sila 'pag nakaupo na sila: puro kasinungalingan, puno ng dumihan. Dapat i-highlight 'yung kabutihan nila, iyong kaya nilang gawin, pero nagre-resort sa ganito kasi walang masabing maganda sa kanila," she stressed.

(The lawyers will take legal action, but we and my daughters, we refuse to be deterred. The way they fight now is how they will be if they are elected into office: filled with lies and dirty tricks. They should highlight their competencies  but they resort to these smears because they cannot say anything good about themselves.)

Likewise, Robredo added that the people around Marcos are the same people who peddle disinformation about her.

"Iyong mga nakapaligid sa kanya, ito iyong mga ginagamit niyang influencers. Hanggang ngayon, hindi ako hinintuan for the last six years. But the lesson on that is that wala talagang kapalit ang paggawa ng kabutihan, walang kapalit ang katotohanan" she said.

(The people around him are the ones he is using as influencers. Up to now, they have not stopped targeting me for the last six years. But the lesson on that is that there is no substitute to doing good and you cannot change the truth.)

"At the end of the day, kabutihan at katotohanan pa rin iyong pipiliin ng tao," she added.

(At the end of the day, the people will always choose goodness and truth.)

In closing, Robredo said such disinformation efforts won't dampen her resolve in pursuing the presidential bid.

"Ako kasi hindi ako hihinto dahil lang sa mga fake news. Hindi ako magwe-waste ng time para sagutin lang 'yan kasi in the first place hindi naman totoo," she said.

(I won't stop just because of fake news. I won't waste time addressing it because in the first place, it is not true.)

'Deceptions'

Asked for reaction on Robredo's statement, Attorney Vic Rodriguez, Marcos' spokesman, told the Vice President to stop her supposed deceptions.

"Mrs. Robredo and her yellow crew can no longer deceive the Filipino people as we have all been awakened from their propaganda of lies, falsehood and politics of deception. In the spirit of Lent, I admonish you not to pass on to us your brand of fake, hateful, negative and gutter politics," Rodriguez said in a statement.

He emphasized that Marcos has "based his campaign solely on his call for unity anchored on the strengths and merits of his vision and platform for the future of our country, especially the youth that has resonated throughout the land and we shall keep it that way until the very end."

Risa says culprit could be charged

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday said the news about Aika's fake porn video "is downright misogynistic" and that misogynistic behavior even online is prohibited under the Safe Spaces Act.

"Pwedeng-pwedeng kasuhan ang mga nagpapakalat nitong fake video," the lawmaker said.

(Those spreading this fake video can face charges.)

"It is never acceptable to use a woman’s body in an attempt to defame one’s character. Nakakagalit na humahantong sa kabastusan ng pagkababae at pagkatao ang panahon ng kampanya," she said in a statement.

(It is infuriating that the campaign period ends up in the disrespect of women.)

"I call on the Filipino public — whichever candidate you support — to condemn this dirty political tactic. I call on all candidates from all slates to do the same. Hindi ito ang diwa ng ating pagka-Pilipino (This is not the essence of our being Filipinos). We are better than this. To Aika, mabuhay ka (long live, Aika) for holding up beautifully! We are with you," Hontiveros added.

Labor leader and presidential candidate Leody de Guzman on Tuesday expressed support for Aika as he condemned the recent malicious attack against her.

“Ang ganitong klase ng paninira (na dati nang ginawa kay Sen. Leila De Lima) at pagkalat ng pekeng impormasyon ay trademark ng bulok na pulitika ng paksyon ni Marcos Jr. at Duterte, kahit pa sabihing gawa-gawa lamang ito ng kanilang supporter,” he said.

(This kind of smear campaign that also happened with Senator Leila De Lima along with the spread of disinformation is a trademark of the rotten politics of the factions of former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and President Rodrigo Duterte, even if they say that only their supporters are behind it.)

Human rights lawyer and senatorial bet Chel Diokno on Monday asked Google to immediately remove links to online content falsely associating Aika to pornography.

"Google should not allow itself to be used for crimes against women," Diokno said. —With a report from Anna Felicia Bajo/KG/RSJ, GMA News