Re-electionist Senator Leila M. de Lima bewailed the spread of fake news against the daughter of Presidential aspirant and Vice President Leni Robredo peddled by groups obviously aiming to derail the VP’s campaign.
De Lima, a social justice and human rights defender, condemned the people behind the reported circulation of fake sex video of Robredo’s eldest daughter, Aika Robredo, as toxic and utterly vile.
“As a woman, as a mother and as a victim of weaponized misogyny driven by dirty politics, I join all decent Filipinos in condemning the latest attempt to damage VP Leni’s campaign through the spread of vile fake news about members of her family,” she said in her Dispatch from Crame No. 1245.
De Lima further said: “Hindi kayang tapatan ang plataporma. Hindi rin kayang sabayan sa debate. Mas lalong hindi kayang tapatan at sabayan ang suporta ng mamamayan kay VP Leni sa social media at ground.”
“Problematic na nga ang kandidato nila, sablay pa ang strategy ng campaign team nila. Kaya hindi nakapagtataka na may nagfafabricate na naman ng kababuyan at i-link sa mga Robredo. Toxic. Utterly vile. Napakawalanghiya,” she added.
Recently, links to a fabricated sex video targeting Robredo’s eldest daughter surfaced on social media and Google search engine.
Robredo’s camp already branded the spread of said video as a “malicious fabrication,” saying it is an obvious ploy to distract supporters of the Vice President.
Atty. Barry Gutierrez, spokesperson of Robredo said their lawyers are studying their options for legal action. He also said that they have reported the links to the platforms concerned so all of those would be taken down.
The lady Senator from Bicol maintained that it is already “too late to break the wave of support for VP Leni by such a pathetic attempt to bring the ‘Robredo’ name down to the level of her morally corrupt detractors.”
“Isa lang ang pinapatunayan ng mga atake na ito: they are threatened by VP Leni’s strength and, more importantly, the strength of the ever-growing support for her Presidential run,” she said.
De Lima, who has been continually subjected to disinformation and fake news by some sinister quarters, said “demonizing women has been a go-to, and desperate, political strategy in the past six years.
“Galawang sindikato talaga. Matitigil lang yan kapag natanggalan na ng sungay ang mga nagtatangkang bumalik sa kapangyarihan, at yung mga nagtatangkang manatili,” she said.
It may be recalled that De Lima has also been a victim of the spread of fake news and weaponized misogyny aimed to malign and slut-shame her.
“Sa kasinungalingan nila inililihis ang isyu at atensyon ng publiko sa nakaraang anim na taon. Dito sila nakikinabang, kumikita at dito rin nila gustong magpatuloy sa susunod na anim na taon.
“Manatili lang po tayong mapanuri at mulat sa katotohanan at sa layunin na ipanalo si VP Leni at Sen. Kiko para sugpuin ang paglaganap ng fake news at panagutin ang nasa likod ng krimen at mga kasinungalingang ito,” De Lima added.
