MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo had just arrived back in Manila over the weekend following a trip to the United States where she spent the past few weeks on vacation and to attend her youngest daughter’s college graduation.
CLAIM: A YouTube video claimed that Robredo’s US trip was sponsored by Filipino-Americans to plot against the Philippine government.
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RATING: This is false.
FACTS: Along with her three daughters, Robredo went to the United States on her own account to attend her youngest Jillian’s college graduation and to spend time with family. They did not entertain requests for meet-ups.
What the posts say
YouTube channel “Showbiz Fanaticz” published the video entitled, “ILANG FIL-AM, ROBREDO AT GUANZON MAY KINALAMAN SA PINAPLANONG MASAMA LABAN SA ADMINISTRASYON NI PRES. BBM” (Some Fil-Ams, Robredo, and Guanzon are conspiring against the administration of Pres. BBM), referring to former Commission on Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon.
In the video, the vlogger identified as one Bryan Calagui said that Robredo, her camp, and Guanzon were planning to “ruin the government.”
“‘Yung mga Fil-Am na nakatira sa Amerika ay sponsoran itong si ‘Len-Len’ na pumunta sa Amerika,” Calagui was shown saying in the first few seconds of the YouTube video. Robredo has been referred to by her crictics on social media as "Len-Len."
(These Fil-Ams who live in America are sponsoring this “Len-Len” to go to America.)
The vlogger added "Len-Len," a derisive nickname pro-administration supporters use to refer to the Vice President, is supposedly plotting something, and urged supporters of president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and vice president-elect Sara Duterte to prepare.
Without providing pieces of evidence or links, he claimed that a “Philippines page” allegedly leaked information that Robredo met with a so-called “NAFA” in the US. Calagui claimed her visit there, along with accommodation expenses, were again sponsored by unnamed Filipino-Americans.
“Ibig sabihin mga ka-BBM-Sara, hindi lang ‘yung pag-attend ni Len Len sa graduation ng kanyang anak, meron pang ibang binabalak,” he said.
"For sure, may binabalak tong mga to, may niluluto ‘tong mga ‘to. At subukan niyong hanapin yung Philippines na page at makikita niyo dun na yung mga Fil-Am na nakatira sa Amerika ay i-sponsor-an itong si Len-Len na pumunta sa Amerika."
(Fellow BBM-Sara supporters, she did not just attend her daughter’s graduation, there were other plans made. For sure, these people are planning, trying to get something out. I urge you to look for the Philippines page and you will see that the Fil-Ams in America are sponsoring Leni to go there.)
Calagui also spent quite some time mocking former Comelec Commissioner Guanzon’s “fighting spirit,” making fun of her doing one of her live Facebook streams.
What they left out
Robredo told supporters that they will not entertain requests to see other people, limiting their meet-ups during the trip in a Facebook post on May 14.
“We are sorry if we cannot accept the numerous requests for meet-ups. We will do that some other time in the future. For now, we just need to spend as much time together,” Robredo wrote.
Their trip came a few days after the 2022 national and local elections.
Robredo told the public that she and her daughters will be taking “a well-deserved rest before all of us restart the lives we have put on hold.”
Most of Robredo’s interactions with supporters during their less than two-week trip happened by chance.
“I promised the girls that, for this trip, all my time will be devoted to them. So whatever lunches or dinners we’ve had with friends were all, somehow, connected to them,” Robredo wrote in a more recent Facebook post.
Essential context
Jillian Robredo, the vice-president’s youngest, obtained her double degree in Mathematics and Economics from New York University. Some of the few people they met with during the trip involved those who were instrumental in her college years.
During Jillian’s graduation week, the Robredo family saw former NYU Dean of Science Michael Purungganan and Joan Maniego. The vice-president said the two Filipinos “helped Jillian and Xyza Bacani survive NYU.”
Purunggan helped Jillian grab an opportunity when she was looking for scholarships, allowing Jillian to work as a lab assistant at the Center for Genomics and Systems Biology throughout her college career.
Robredo also thanked relatives “for being Jillian’s second parents in the US.”
Why does this matter?
Published just two days ago, the video already has nearly 11,000 views as of writing and has since gained 128 comments. Showbiz Fanaticz, according to its Facebook page, is allegedly dedicated to the “latest happening from your favorite celebrity and other TV personality.”
Its YouTube account has over 292.497 million views since joining the platform in November 2017.
This is not the first time the Robredo family’s New York trip was the subject of disinformation. Robredo was also attacked for allegedly traveling extravagantly for having paper bags with logos of luxury brands, which was in truth a gift from her supporters.
Robredo was the top target of misinformation in the days leading up to the polls. It was found that 96% of the disinformation against Robredo was negative.
A report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer also showed that Robredo remained the target of disinformation even after losing in the elections. — reviewed by Kristine Joy Patag and Franco Luna
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