Sara tells Leni: Don't retreat to 'Robredo camp' to respond to honesty issues

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Sunday advised Vice President Leni Robredo not to retreat to a "Robredo camp" in responding to comments regarding her supposed questionable integrity and honesty.

The presidential daughter made the remark after Robredo's spokesperson, lawyer Barry Gutierrez, and the Liberal Party responded to her tirades against the Vice President for saying that dishonest people should not run for public office.

In a statement, Mayor Duterte said Robredo should answer herself the comments directly addressed to her.

"A reminder to Leni Robredo: Kapag umatake ka, at sinagot ka ng inatake mo to question your authority to speak on integrity and honesty, do not retreat behind a "Robredo Camp" to answer for you and the argument you started," Mayor Duterte said.

"It says a lot about your fake courage," she added.

Mayor Duterte, campaign manager of the administration's Senate slate in the May 2019 elections, previously said honesty should not be an issue in the elections because "everybody lies."

Robredo, commenting on the matter, said dishonest persons should not run for public office, leading Mayor Duterte to also question the Vice President's honesty and moral ascendancy.

"She is not called fake VP for no reason. She has tried to copy her late husband but has failed at every turn. She is facing an electoral protest for massive fraud during the 2016 elections," Mayor Duterte said.

She also raised Robredo's supposed relationship with a married lawmaker, which the Vice President has already denied.

Robredo did not personally comment on Mayor Duterte's tirades. Instead, Gutierrez and the Liberal Party, which Robredo chairs, made the responses.

"Salamat Mayor Sara, pinatunayan mong hindi ka talaga naniniwala na kailangan ang honesty sa public service. Babanat ka na nga lang, mga fake news pa ang ginamit mo," Gutierrez said.

The Liberal Party, meanwhile, questioned the apparent double standard being employed by Mayor Duterte on the issue of honesty expected of public officials.

"Kapag kakampi nila hindi issue ang honesty pero kapag si VP Leni at hindi nila kaalyado ay issue na ito? Tama ba yun?," the party said in a statement issued on Saturday.

GMA News Online has reached out to Gutierrez for a fresh comment from Robredo, but he has yet to respond as of posting time. —KG, GMA News