Vice President Leni Robredo INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
The Office of Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday scored the false news being spread that the country鈥檚 second highest official was pregnant, saying that the 鈥渄emolition campaign has begun.鈥�
Who is behind it is the question, Georgina Hernandez, Robredo鈥檚 spokesperson, said in a statement.
鈥淲e been warned about these well-funded and well-orchestrated attacks to malign the Vice President. The demolition campaign has begun. And the next logical question is: who is behind it,鈥� Hernandez said.
False news
The Office of the Vice President has 鈥渃omplete trust in the Filipino鈥檚 ability to discern fact from fiction and steer clear of false news. Websites that masquerade as news sources have been fabricating these rumors, which are then spread by troll armies,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e thank everyone for their constant vigilance against the rumors being touted as truth on social media,鈥� Hernandez said.
The Vice President herself told reporters that the false news being spread that she was pregnant would sound funny if it were not an insult to women.
鈥淚t鈥檚 funny but at the same time, it is an insult to all of us women,鈥� Robredo told reporters.
On Monday morning, fake news websites carried stories that Robredo was pregnant.
The 52-year-old Vice President is the widow of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo. They have three daughters.
She surmised that the pregnancy rumor appeared to be the continuation of an earlier rumor that she was romantically involved with a Quezon City lawmaker.
Sinister schemes
Even President Duterte helped spread the rumor, mentioning it in a speech in Tacloban City commemorating the third anniversary of Supertyphoon 鈥淵olanda,鈥� where Robredo was seated on stage.
The Vice President shook her head to say 鈥渘o鈥� when Mr. Duterte asked her if the rumor was true, and if it were, 鈥渁 congressman might end up dead.鈥�
The Vice President added that sinister schemes to oust her from office would be tantamount to 鈥渄isregarding the integrity of institutions.鈥�
Robredo was guest of honor on Monday at the 9th Congress of Pakisama, a national organization of farmers and fisherfolk, in Quezon City.
鈥淚t is frightening because it would be like disregarding the integrity of our institutions,鈥� Robredo said.鈥�Nikko Dizon