MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday, April 23, slammed former journalist Rigoberto Tiglao for his latest Manila Times column linking her and her Liberal Party (LP) to the recent European Parliament resolution that called on the Philippines to end extrajudicial killings related to its anti-drugs campaign.
Calling the column "fake news," Robredo said in a tweet Monday: "I don't read his columns nor do I know him. One thing I can say is he definitely is a purveyor of fake news. Never saw or spoke or communicated with a single EU official or representative while I was in Germany.”
Another FAKE NEWS ALERT. Don't read his columns nor do I know him. One thing I can say is he definitely is a purveyor of fake news. Never saw or spoke or communicated with a single EU official or representative while I was in Germany. pic.twitter.com/zndRBHHPfx
— Leni Robredo (@lenirobredo) April 23, 2018
In his April 23 column, Tiglao said he was told by an unnamed source that Robredo and her LP colleagues met with German members of the European Parliament "to urge them to have the April 18 resolution passed."
Tiglao, known for making false claims in his columns, said the meeting happened during Robredo's recent trip to Germany.
In a separate post on Facebook, Robredo said she does not know where Tiglao gets his "information."
"The trip was scheduled as early as October 2017 and was intended to be an opportunity to engage German academics, members of civil society, and officials on poverty alleviation and women empowerment," Robredo added.
On Wednesday, April 25, Robredo again posted about the issue on Twitter.
"I recently called out a fake news purveyor for lies about my Germany trip. Instead of admitting fault, he emailed my office threatening to print more fake news," she said in her tweet.
"I’ve held my peace before, trusting that truth will prevail. We can no longer let lies go unchallenged. So bring it on."
I recently called out a fake news purveyor for lies about my Germany trip. Instead of admitting fault, he emailed my office threatening to print more fake news. I’ve held my peace before, trusting that truth will prevail. We can no longer let lies go unchallenged. So bring it on.
— Leni Robredo (@lenirobredo) April 25, 2018
Robredo and other LP members were in Berlin, Germany, for a study visit program, upon the invitation of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
The Vice President and her colleagues drew flak for posing at the Holocaust memorial in Germany. Robredo has since apologized for the much-criticized photo, saying she took "full responsibility" for it. – Rappler.com
