Vice President Leni Robredo disowned posts of her alleged involvement with the communist rebels and urged Filipinos to help her report these posts that red-tagged her over the weekend.
In a post on Saturday, Robredo shared screenshots of social media cards with quotes attributed to her wherein she supposedly declared her support to the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
“It gets crazier and crazier. Now I am being red tagged. None of the allegations here are true. Please help us report these peddlers of fake news. Pare pareho at halos sabay sabay ang labas. So mukhang eto yung script this week,” she said.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson and law professor Antonio Laviña have previously eyed the criminalization of red-tagging or tagging critics and other personalities as alleged members of the communist rebellion without proof.
In an interview with ANC, Laviña stated that act of red-tagging puts the lives of those being accused as communists in danger.
“The legal basis is quite obvious, that you are harming people when you are red-baiting or red-tagging. It’s not the speech that’s being punished but what the speech does,” Laviña said.
Lacson, meanwhile, expressed that he is “seriously considering” proposals to make red-tagging a crime as long as the new possible law will not infringe any human rights.
“I am seriously considering the recommendation to criminalize red-tagging as long as such legislation will not infringe on the bill of rights involving freedom of speech and expression,” said Lacson, who leads the Senate hearing on the alleged red-tagging of military officials against organizations.
Last week, at least eleven media groups and journalism educators denounced the red-tagging of alternative media network AlterMidya during the hearing.
In a separate post, Robredo also disowned a post titled “Statement of Vice President Leni Robredo on her failed math” making rounds online.
The fake post bears a seal of the Office of the Vice President to make it look official.
Robredo once again reacted with “Lols.”
“Obviously not mine. This is fake news (again and again). Please report anyone who shares or posts this,” Robredo said.
The vice president and her office’s partner organization Kaya Natin Movement are still conducting relief operations for the victims of the recent Typhoon “Ulysses” and Supertyphoon “Rolly,” in Bicol region. The two tropical cyclones devastated the several parts of the country last month.
Robredo’s team recently launched a housing initiative called “BAHAYanihan” for typhoon victims in the region who lost their houses during the past natural calamities.
Families in Guinobatan, Albay were the first beneficiaries of this initiative.
