Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday asked what's the deal between Vice President Leni Robredo and Communist Party of the Philippines chairman Jose Maria Sison after a video showed the CPP leader supposedly endorsing Robredo's presidential bid.
"Recently, they denied na. Of course, nag-disclaim din si Joma Sison na hindi siya nag-act na adviser. Pero I came across a video taped message ni Joma Sison himself endorsing, strongly endorsing the tandem of Vice President Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan very clear doon... Sabi nga natin diba res ipsa loquitur-- the thing speaks for itself," Lacson said at a news conference in Tarlac.
"Naandon mismo sa tape. So, that says a lot kasi kung heavily endorsed. Ang hindi natin alam what happens in between or what happens behind the scene bakit sila ang ine-endorse ni Joma Sison," he added.
The presidential candidate then asked the reason behind Sison's alleged support to the Vice President. "Ano bang deal kung meron man? Kung wala, well and good. Pero kung meron, 'yun ang masama na naman. We cannot move forward anymore kasi effective na nga ang ginagawa ng present administration to end the five-decade old insurgency problem eh baka mag-fallback na naman tayo, baka magkaroon ng retrograde movement along this line," Lacson said.
On Sunday, Robredo slammed as fake news a report published on Thursday that said Sison was an adviser to her and her campaign for Eleksyon 2022. Sison also issued a statement on Friday saying there is no truth to the said report.
"I have not been advising Leni Robredo although I think that she is a far more qualified candidate for president than Ferdinand Jr. who has no qualification but to campaign with too much money from the bureaucratic loot of the late unlamented fascist dictator, Ferdinand Sr.," Sison posted on his website.
"I have not been consulting with Barry Gutierrez, the spokesman of Robredo," he added.
Sison added that he presumes that Ang Bayan, which was supposedly quoted by the news article, "will deny the fake report." Ang Bayan is the official publication of the CPP.
The CPP founder also said he had "never been approached or interviewed" by the writer of the said article.
For his part, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Lacson's running-mate, said he was not "surprised" but he did not elaborate his answer further.
On the other hand, Lacson said there was nothing wrong with dissent but this should not include armed struggle.
"Hindi naman kami against doon sa... dissent against the government... basta hindi armed aggression ang ginagamit. After all, may freedom naman tayo ng choice natin kung ano ang gusto nating paniwalaan sa sarili natin," Lacson said. "Pero kapag hinaluan mo na ng armed component, armed struggle, ibang usapan na yun. In fact, the fact that you are being endorsed by a terrorist group, a designated terrorist group, designated by the United Nations Security Council and then validated by our own Anti-Terrorism Council so yun ang tinitignan nating problema," he added.
In March, Lacson expressed concern on the alleged infiltration of communist rebels in some of Robredo's campaign rallies. He made the claim based on the statements of self-proclaimed New People's Army cadre Jeffrey "Ka Eric" Celiz. NPA is the armed wing of the CPP. This, however, was repeatedly denied by Robredo's camp, saying there’s no coalition government that is being formed with the communist rebels.
"Recently, they denied na. Of course, nag-disclaim din si Joma Sison na hindi siya nag-act na adviser. Pero I came across a video taped message ni Joma Sison himself endorsing, strongly endorsing the tandem of Vice President Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan very clear doon... Sabi nga natin diba res ipsa loquitur-- the thing speaks for itself," Lacson said at a news conference in Tarlac.
"Naandon mismo sa tape. So, that says a lot kasi kung heavily endorsed. Ang hindi natin alam what happens in between or what happens behind the scene bakit sila ang ine-endorse ni Joma Sison," he added.
The presidential candidate then asked the reason behind Sison's alleged support to the Vice President. "Ano bang deal kung meron man? Kung wala, well and good. Pero kung meron, 'yun ang masama na naman. We cannot move forward anymore kasi effective na nga ang ginagawa ng present administration to end the five-decade old insurgency problem eh baka mag-fallback na naman tayo, baka magkaroon ng retrograde movement along this line," Lacson said.
On Sunday, Robredo slammed as fake news a report published on Thursday that said Sison was an adviser to her and her campaign for Eleksyon 2022. Sison also issued a statement on Friday saying there is no truth to the said report.
"I have not been advising Leni Robredo although I think that she is a far more qualified candidate for president than Ferdinand Jr. who has no qualification but to campaign with too much money from the bureaucratic loot of the late unlamented fascist dictator, Ferdinand Sr.," Sison posted on his website.
"I have not been consulting with Barry Gutierrez, the spokesman of Robredo," he added.
Sison added that he presumes that Ang Bayan, which was supposedly quoted by the news article, "will deny the fake report." Ang Bayan is the official publication of the CPP.
The CPP founder also said he had "never been approached or interviewed" by the writer of the said article.
For his part, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Lacson's running-mate, said he was not "surprised" but he did not elaborate his answer further.
On the other hand, Lacson said there was nothing wrong with dissent but this should not include armed struggle.
"Hindi naman kami against doon sa... dissent against the government... basta hindi armed aggression ang ginagamit. After all, may freedom naman tayo ng choice natin kung ano ang gusto nating paniwalaan sa sarili natin," Lacson said. "Pero kapag hinaluan mo na ng armed component, armed struggle, ibang usapan na yun. In fact, the fact that you are being endorsed by a terrorist group, a designated terrorist group, designated by the United Nations Security Council and then validated by our own Anti-Terrorism Council so yun ang tinitignan nating problema," he added.
In March, Lacson expressed concern on the alleged infiltration of communist rebels in some of Robredo's campaign rallies. He made the claim based on the statements of self-proclaimed New People's Army cadre Jeffrey "Ka Eric" Celiz. NPA is the armed wing of the CPP. This, however, was repeatedly denied by Robredo's camp, saying there’s no coalition government that is being formed with the communist rebels.
