After receiving the ire of the internet amid baseless accusations that supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo were hauled, paid, and were alleged members of communist fronts, Cavite 7th district representative Boying Remulla stands by his controversial claims as the hashtag #BoyingSinungaling remained atop local Twitter trends.
Amid criticisms, Remulla insisted that crowds were hauled and paid PHP500 (US$9.57) each to attend the grand rally of Vice President Leni Robredo in General Trias, Cavite on Friday after images on social media showed a massive turnout.
About 47,000 supporters were estimated to be in attendance at the sortie.
“Hindi ako nagsisinungaling, nagsasabi ako ng totoo (I’m not lying, I’m telling the truth),” the congressman told anchor Karmina Constantino in an ABS-CBN news program. “Dumaan ako, na-traffic ako, kaya napanood ko ‘yung pangyayari (I drove by, I was stuck in traffic, that’s where I witnessed the entire thing).”
“Nakita ko ‘yung mga jeep na naka-parada, mga taga-malalayong lugar, mga hindi taga-Cavite, kaya sinasabi ko na maraming hakot at mayroon ding nabayaran (I saw the jeeps that were parked, they came from far places, they weren’t from Cavite. That’s why I said that a lot of them were hauled and paid to come.)
The anchor grilled Remulla on his claim that a politician in Cavite was handing out PHP500 bills to those in attendance. The representative refused to answer but clarified that this politician was not Vice President Leni Robredo.
Constantino also questioned Remulla’s claim where he allegedly red-tagged participants of Robredo’s sortie.
“Ang dami nilang mga estudyante, mukhang mga aktibista,” Remulla said in an earlier radio program. “Kaliwa, mga trained ng NDF (National Democratic Front). May dalang mga bandera pero pink,” he said. (A lot of students were there and they looked like activists. They look like from the left, trained by the NDF… They brought banners in pink.)
Constantino rebutted the congressman after he insisted that he was telling the truth, and that there was nothing wrong in calling the left for what they were.
“Ang mali na sinasabi nila congressman ay ginawa niyo silang members ng communist movement (What they’re saying is wrong, congressman, is that you labeled them as members of a communist movement), you red-tagged them without any proof, and that’s what they’re saying is very dangerous because you’re endangering their lives. And some, including Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, are saying that this can be considered as (electoral) harrassment,” Constantino said.
Commissioner Guanzon, who recently retired, earlier tweeted, “Red-tagging again? That’s getting old! And if you push it harder, that is an election offense: intimidating, harrassing campaigners or supporters.”
Red tagging na naman ? Luma na yan ! And if u push it harder that is an election offense : intimidating,harrassing campaigners or suppprters.@COMELEC
— Rowena Guanzon (@rowena_guanzon) March 6, 2022
Meanwhile, Robredo supporters on Friday chanted “Hindi kami bayad! (We are not paid!)” as the vice president stood on stage.
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