VP camp: 'LeniLeaks' tag was malicious

MANILA, Philippines — Labeling the alleged emails linking Vice President Leni Robredo to perceived plans to oust President Rodrigo Duterte as "Leni Leaks" was malicious, the vice president's camp said on Tuesday.

Georgina Hernandez, spokesperson of the vice president, stressed that Robredo was not a member of the Yahoo! Group containing messages of her supporters purportedly planning moves to ask the president to resign.

"'Yung mismong pagtawag ng 'Leni Leaks' malisyoso, parang sinasabi na may tinatago," Hernandez said in an interview with radio dzBB.

Hernandez added that the messages in the online group were not a secret as the information was posted in a public Yahoo! Group account.

Robredo's spokesperson stressed that the vice president did not personally see the emails as she was not part of the online group.

Hernandez also noted that Robredo did not meet with Filipino-American philanthropist Loida Nicolas-Lewis during her recent trip to the United States.

Lewis is a known supporter of Robredo and has been tagged in an alleged plot to oust Duterte.

"Hindi po sila nagkita. Hindi po sila nagkausap," Hernandez said.

In an interview on ANC on Tuesday, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Anadanar said that he is not accusing Robredo of being in on the supposed plot.

"I don't even think it's the vice president herself, baka yung mga tao niya?" he said.

He also said the Department of Information and Communications Technology is checking whether the Yahoo!Group is authentic and if the people named in the e-mails are real.

"Sa Yahoo! Groups kasi, your name can be included even without your permission," Andanar explained.

No meeting with Duterte yet

Robredo has not yet met with Duterte following her resignation from his Cabinet, Hernandez said.

"Sa ngayon po, hindi pa sila nagkakaroon ng pagkakataon na mag-usap," Robredo's spokesperson said.

Robredo's trust rating dropped from 65 percent in September 2016 to 58 percent in December 2016 following her resignation, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey.

Meanwhile, Duterte remains the most trusted top government official with a score of 83 percent.