Robredo, Bautista: There was no ‘secret meeting’

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo and Commission on Elections Chair Juan Andres “Andy” Bautista on Thursday denied the alleged secret meeting captured in a viral video.

Robredo and Bautista said they just attended a dinner in Makati City and only had a short encounter of greeting each other.

“Walang ganun na secret meeting nag-attend ako ng isang dinner party. Siguro mga 40 tao ‘yung nandun. Isa si Comelec chairman sa mga guests pero hindi ko nga maalala na nag-usap kami, parang nag-batian lang pero hindi kami nag-usap,” Robredo said in a press conference.

“There were more than 30 people with, in fact, members of the diplomatic corps. There was no secret meeting whatsoever.  In fact, I only had a one sentence hello with Madame Vice President, so there was no secret meeting,” Bautista said in a separate forum.

The two officials both made clarifications after a video allegedly capturing their secret meeting went viral. The one minute and 15-second-long video was posted by a Facebook user named “Dayaang Matuwid” on Wednesday.

The video uploader said Robredo and Bautista secretly met after the Supreme Court ordered Robredo camp to comment on the electoral protest filed by former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wherein Bautista is also a respondent. The video, however, only showed separate videos of the two officials.

“Barely 8 hours after the Supreme Court made the order, Leni Robredo held a secret meeting with fellow respondent and Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista at the 10th floor of the Urdaneta Apartments in Makati. The meeting was held at the unit of socialite Baby Cruz,” the video uploader said.

Robredo said the viral video is “malicious” as it did not show any video of her and Bautista speaking to each other. She said there were several visitors in the dinner which included her daughters, United States Ambassador Philip Goldberg and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales.

The vice president said the dinner was hosted by a family friend.

“Very malicious [‘yung video]. Siguro mas maigi kung may secret meeting ipinakita niya sana mismo na nag-usap kami kasi wala namang ganun. Ako naalala ko lang na exchange namin [ni Comelec Chair Bautista] nag-hi ako either papasok or paalis pero hindi kami nagkausap na usap,” she added.