News Roundup 22 March 2022
Mar 22, 2022 • 4 min Read
Leni Robredo: How can one be against corruption when he doesn’t pay taxes? | INQUIRER.NET – Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday reminded voters to “verify receipt” whenever politicians claim they are advocates for a certain sector of society or when they are against corruption. As she brought her presidential campaign in Nueva Ecija on Tuesday, Robredo noted the signficance of discernment “Pag panahon ng eleksyon dapat ganiyan, ‘di ba? ‘Pag panahon ng eleksyon, kapag may pupunta dito sasabihin, ‘mahal ko ‘yung mga mahihirap’. Dapat tanungin natin, paano ba nila ipinakita ang pagmamahal nila sa mahihirap?” the presidential candidate told Novo Ecijanos during a Pink Rally in San Jose City as she brought her 2022 campaign in Nueva Ecija on Tuesday. (During election season, it should be like that, right? During election season, when someone comes here and says, ‘I love the poor’. We must ask, how did they show their love for the poor?) “Pag sinabi pong ayaw sa korapsyon, hanapan natin ng resibo. Eh papaano naman ayaw sa korapsyon kung hindi nga nagbabayad ng buwis?” she added. (If they say they don’t want corruption, let’s look for a receipt. After all, how can one claim being against corruption when he doesn’t pay taxes?) Robredo then cited her long list of receipts to prove her advocacy against corruption.
Reports of giving money during campaign to be referred to local Comelec execs — Jimenez | INQUIRER.NET – Reports of money being given away during the campaign period will be referred to local officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for investigation, poll body spokesperson James Jimenez said Tuesday. In a Laging Handa public briefing, Jimenez was questioned if a dance contest with cash prize is allowed under Comelec guidelines. “So ang ginagawa natin kapag may mga report na nakukuhang ganyan, talagang inire-refer po natin sa local officials natin, local Comelec officials for investigation and if necessary, referral to the law department for filing of a case,” he responded. (What we do when we get those kinds of reports, we refer it to local Comelec officials for investigation and if necessary, referral to the law department for filing of a case.) “Again, ang malinaw sa atin is that giving free money for the purpose of soliciting votes, vote buying po ‘yan. Kailangan lang natin patunayan,” he stressed. (Again, what is clear is that giving free money for the purpose of soliciting votes, that is vote buying. We just need to prove that.) Early Tuesday, Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla gave away cash prizes in a dance contest during the campaign rally of the tandem of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Robredo campaign thankful for ‘ROSA’ push but Pangilinan her only VP bet | PHILSTAR.COM – Vice President Leni Robredo is grateful for the support she has received from groups pushing for an all-women tandem, but she will only support the vice presidential bid of running mate Senator Kiko Pangilinan, her camp said Tuesday. A group led by Rep. Joey Salceda (Albay) launched “ROSA 2022” Monday to support the presidential bid of Robredo and vice presidential bid of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. “We’re still very thankful for their support… But her position on this matter has been very, very clear from the start. Her running mate, her ka-tandem is Senator Kiko Pangilinan. She will be pushing for his election as vice president. She will not be campaigning for any other candidate,” Robredo’s spokesperson Barry Gutierrez said in an interview with CNN Philippines. “But regardless of who gets elected, she will be willing to work with the person who the people choose as vice president,” he added.
Independent bookstore vandalized, red-tagged | Manila Bulletin – The operator of an independent bookstore in Quezon City has cried foul on Tuesday, March 22, after its walls were vandalized by unknown suspects in an apparent case of red-tagging. In a Facebook post, Popular Bookstore posted the malicious markings painted on the wall of its bookstore that read: “NPA terorista” (National People’s Army terrorists). The management said their initial reaction “was not fear,” but “dismay and exasperation.” “Books are not bullets and bombs. Books are for education and enlightenment. It is a repository of history and culture. It is what differentiates humankind from animals,” it wrote. “To those responsible for this philistine act, we would like to reiterate that Popular Bookstore is a bookseller to booklovers (obviously, you don’t belong).”
