OVP spox to Imee: VP Leni is more than an extraordinary housewife

The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo on Wednesday said that the presidential aspirant is more than an extraordinary housewife.

Ibarra Gutierrez, spokesperson for Robredo, issued the response after Senator Imee Marcos said the Vice President is an extraordinary housewife, and that every presidential aspirant should not be underestimated.

"Vice President Leni is also an extraordinary lawyer, a productive legislator, an actual degree holder several times over in fact, and of course, the duly elected Vice President," Gutierrez said in a Twitter post.

"Just spreading some truth and love this #KakampinkWednesday," he added.

Robredo is a lawyer and finished her economics degree at the University of the Philippines Diliman. Senator Imee, on the other hand, has claimed in the past in her social media accounts that she earned a college degree from Princeton University and a law degree from the UP College of Law. Princeton Deputy University spokesperson Michael Hotchkiss and UP Diliman disputed her claims in 2019.

The #KakampinkWednesday hashtag is an initiative of the supporters of Robredo's Eleksyon 2022 presidential bid wherein they wear pink on Wednesdays and spearhead charity initiatives in pushing for a Robredo presidency that empathizes with the needy.

In a separate statement, Robredo's supporters who volunteered for her Eleksyon 2022 campaign under Dapat Si Leni tag likewise argued that Senator Imee's comment is a compliment and an insult at the same time.

"She is right in saying that no candidate should underestimate Leni Robredo. For the first time, we agree with her. It is refreshing to see a Marcos being capable of speaking the truth," the group said.

"But to label Vice President Leni as an extraordinary housewife is an insult laced with praise. It is an attack not to our Presidentiable, but to every woman—mother, daughter, and sister—who bears the heaviest responsibility to take care of the family," they added.

Dapat Si Leni then cited that to imply that a housewife needs to be extraordinary in order to be considered as a serious contender in positions of leadership is a step backwards in achieving genuine women empowerment.

"To be a housewife in itself is extraordinary. Ito ang paghihirap at pagtatrabaho na walang katumbas na salapi, dahil nakaugat ito sa malalim na pagmamahal sa pamilya (Being one is to work and sacrifice which cannot be quantified by money because it is rooted in love of family)," they pointed out.

Robredo beat Senator Imee's brother, Ferdinand Jr., nicknamed Bongbong, in the 2016 vice presidential race by 263,473 votes.

Bongbong appealed his defeat and ultimately lost again before the Supreme Court which sits as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

Like Robredo, Bongbong also filed a certificate of candidacy for President in Eleksyon 2022.

GMA News Online has reached out to Senator Imee for comment but she has yet to reply as of posting time. —KG, GMA News