Robredo twits bloggers-turned-officials: Walang pagsisisi, maangas

Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday let out what could be her harshest public remarks since entering politics for bloggers-turned-government functionaries over statements they made at a Senate hearing on fake news.

In a tweet, Robredo said the bloggers-slash-government officials, who posted fake news about her, were rather brash and remorseless.

May mga nandoon sa Senado na pinagmulan ng fake news tungkol sa akin. Walang bahid ng pagsisisi. Walang kahihiyan. Mayabang. Maangas.

— Leni Robredo (@lenirobredo) October 5, 2017

"May mga nandoon sa Senado na pinagmulan ng fake news tungkol sa akin. Walang bahid ng pagsisisi. Walang kahihiyan. Mayabang. Maangas," Robredo said.

Robredo didn't name names but Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson and Department of Foreign Affairs consultant RJ Nieto were the bloggers that figured prominently at the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Information.

Uson and Nieto earlier this year pushed on their respective blogs the Lenileaks issue in which Robredo was linked to supposed ouster moves against President Rodrigo Duterte.

On her Facebook page, Uson turned the tables on Robredo, saying the Vice President herself was a source of fake news.

"Madam masakit po ba? Gusto ko lang po paalala sa inyo na ganyan din naramdaman ng mga kababayan natin lalo na ng mga nasa abroad noong nagpadala kayo ng fake news video sa UN," Uson said.

Uson was referring to the video on extrajudicial killings played before a United Nations body months back.

"At hanggang ngayon 'walang bahid ng pagsisi', 'walang kahihiyan' pa rin po kayo," Uson added.

In a statement, Robredo said she was shocked by the arrogant and unapologetic statements of the bloggers.

“Para sa akin, medyo na-eskandalo ako. Unang una, iyong iba sa kanila na nandoon sa Senado ay pinagmulan ng maraming kasinungalingan tungkol sa akin, pero unapologetic. Walang bahid ng pagsisisi. Parang walang kahihiyan. At iyong masama pa sa lahat, parang iyong yabang at angas, nandoon,” Robredo said.

She added that their attitude towards public service was an insult to government workers.

“Insulto ito sa maraming kawani ng pamahalaan na naninilbihan sa taumbayan kahit napakakaunti ng nakukuhang kapalit,” she said. “Iyong sa atin, iyong paniniwala natin bilang mga Pilipino, na iyong paninilbihan para sa bayan, isang pribilehiyong hindi nabibigay sa lahat," Robredo said.

Robredo posted the same sentiments in her Twitter account, saying that certain guests at the Senate showed no traces of remorse of shame.

Uson and Nieto faced off against opposition senators whom they criticize in their posts.

The senators pointed out that the two are part of the government; Uson being under the Presidential Communications Operations Office, and Nieto being a consultant at the DFA.

Nieto said the DFA needed him more than he did the agency.

He said that should he have been given a choice, he would not want to work for DFA, because they are supposedly treated like "slaves" there and the pay is merely a "pittance." Still, he helped them because he wants the government to succeed.

Robredo seemingly called out Nieto for his comment.

“Para sabihin mong hindi mo kailangan iyong pamahalaan, iyong pamahalaan iyong nangangailangan sa iyo, parang... Ito ba tayo bilang Pilipino?” she added. “Hindi tayo ganito. Iyong sa atin, iyong paninilbihan sa bayan walang halaga, hindi puwedeng isukat. Pero parang dinadaan sa yabang.”

The Vice President also said that there were already laws in place to regulate published information of such nature.

She added that it will be up to Congress to decide on the matter. —NB, GMA News