Robredo: Dishonest persons should not aspire for public office

Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday said dishonest persons should not run for public office, contradicting Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte's claim that honesty should not be an election issue.

"Nakakagulat na kailangan pang pagdebatehan kung mahalaga ba 'yung pagiging honest kasi dapat given na 'yun," Robredo told reporters at the sidelines of International Women's Day Summit.

She added that honesty is an "important ingredient" of aspirations for public office.

"'Yung honesty, napakalaking factor sa integrity ng isang tao. Kung wala kang ganun, dapat hindi mo iniisip na maglingkod. Paano ka makakapaglingkod kung may problema ka sa sarili mo?" Robredo said.

On Wednesday, Sara Duterte, the campaign manager of the administration's Senate slate in the May elections, said honesty should not be an issue in the elections because "everybody lies."

Members of the opposition Senate slate criticized her for it. Malacañang, on the other hand, said voters do not necessarily count honesty as one of the qualities they are looking for in a candidate during elections. —KBK, GMA News