MANILA, Philippines — The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo disputed the claim of chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo that she boarded a government-owned C-130 when she went to the Bicol region to provide relief to those affected by the recent typhoons.
"Secretary Panelo should get his facts straight," Robredo’s spokesperson Barry Gutierrez said Tuesday in a statement. "It’s sad that Vice President Leni is helping those affected by the typhoon and floods and instead of support, defamation and lies are being thrown. What are they? Public servants or trolls?"
In his program aired on state-run People’s Television, where he regularly comments on critics of the government, Panelo claimed, quoting Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, that Robredo boarded a government-owned C-130 plane when she went to Catanduanes.
The supposed plane, Panelo further claimed, was carrying relief goods from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
“VP Leni, I thought that you went on your own when you went to Catanduanes. Turns out you rode a government plane and went along with relief goods. So it looks like you were the one who brought them,” Panelo said in Filipino.
Robredo visited Camarines Sur, Albay and Catanduanes following the onslaught of Super Typhoon “Rolly” (international name: Goni) and gave relief goods to families affected by the storm.
President Rodrigo Duterte also made a separate visit to Guinobatan town in Albay. — Xave Gregorio