Claiming the “Lugaw Queen” label given to her by internet trolls, Vice President Leni Robredo shared that her team brought “lugaw” or rice porridge for the communities they will visit on Friday.
The second highest-ranking official in the country responded to a Twitter user who commented on her post where she shared a picture of her in a “speaking engagement” and then inside a vehicle with a huge bag of snacks.
“Speaking engagement in the morning, and the rest of the day ahead visiting communities. Nagbaon na kami para sure,” Robredo tweeted on Friday morning with a smiling emoji.
A Twitter user quipped that someone might look for rice porridge, referencing the term that her online detractors have been using when referring to her.
Speaking engagement in the morning, and the rest of the day ahead visiting communities. Nagbaon na kami para sure😊 pic.twitter.com/J9xxdsr5mT
— Leni Robredo (@lenirobredo) November 13, 2020
“Naku baka may magtanong uli bakit ‘di nailaw (logo) nung laptop. Baka may maghanap din ng lugaw. ‘Lam niyo naman, very (predictable) na ang mga DDS. Hehe,” the online user commented.
DDS refers to “Diehard Duterte Supporters.”
“May dala kaming lugaw,” Robredo immediately responded to him with a face-throwing-a-kiss emoji.
Her reply caught local Twitter’s attention, where it has earned a whopping number of 40,000 likes, 2,500 retweets and 2,000 quote tweets as of this writing.
how i love the shade https://t.co/gqSknKMmUD
— My heart, it broke that night (@ledr378) November 13, 2020
“Hot lugaw + Warm Comfort. Just like (a) mother’s embrace in times of trouble. Mabuhay ka po! God bless you and the entire VP team,” another Twitter user wrote in response to Robredo’s post.
“VP Leni owning the lugaw narrative to force DDS to be more creative. #BusyPresidente,” an online user commented.
“The power of reclaiming derogatory words, and turning it into something positive,” another Twitter user likewise observed.
“Use it to attack her and she will use it to help the Filipino people,” a different Filipino commended.
Robredo on Friday morning shared an update of her office’s relief operation initiatives through a video uploaded on her Facebook page where she said that her team will go around evacuation centers. She thanked the people who offered goods for Ulysses-hit communities.
Robredo’s office has been actively initiating relief ops efforts for victims of Typhoon Ulysses that has displaced lots of families in Luzon, including parts of Metro Manila.
Part of her office’s efforts includes a crowdsourcing effort for rubber boats that can be lent to local government units in Metro Manila and nearby areas that were overwhelmed with calls for rescue.
Robredo also visited victims of Super Typhoon Rolly in Camarines Sur, where she used to serve as third district representative. She then handed out packed relief goods to families heavily affected by the world’s strongest tropical cyclone this year.
The ‘lugaw’ tag
When she was campaigning as a vice president, the Liberal Party candidate revealed that her supporters initiated fundraising efforts for her to boost her campaign resources.
“Very creative nga ‘yung aking mga volunteer. Kung anu-ano ‘yung naiisipan. ‘Yung fundraining dinner na for me, siguro mahigit lima at malaki talaga ‘yung nakukuha sa mga fundraising dinners,” she said in an ABS-CBN interview before.
The fundraising initiatives also included the “Bike for Leni” and the “Lugawan for Leni” activities.
“Meron kaming Bike for Leni. Merong ice cream flavor na ipinangalan sa akin at ‘yung proceeds, para sa kampanya. Maraming nagpapa-imprenta ng sariling campaign collaterals for me. Merong mga Lugawan for Leni. Kahit anong maisipan, talagang sobrang daming tumutulong,” Robredo added in the interview.
Reports said that Robredo’s detractors started calling her “Lugaw Queen” and “Leni Lugaw” when pictures of her campaign team serving rice porridge surfaced online during the 2016 election campaign season.
