Team DailyPedia
MANILA, Philippines. Akbayan Representative Ibarra Gutierrez is urging supporters of presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to stop harassing Marites Palma, the OFW based in Hong Kong who defended Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas.
He told the supporters of the tough-talking mayor: “Hindi na nakakatuwa ang ginagawa ng mga disipulo ni Mayor. Hindi tama na ma-harass ang OFW na lumabas para sabihin ang katotohanan ng ginawa ni Mar sa Hong Kong.”
(I’m not happy with what the disciples of Mayor are doing. It’s not right to harass an OFW who came out to speak about the truth behind Mar’s event in Hong Kong.)
On Sunday, April 3, Palma dispelled rumors claiming that only a few supporters of Roxas-Robredo tandem welcomed them in Hong Kong. Palma was photographed along with Roxas in an image that went viral online after Duterte’s spokesperson Peter Laviña posted it with the caption: “Nilangaw ang rally doon ng tuwad na daan. The visibly disoriented, demoralized Mar was a picture of defeat.”
According to Palma, Roxas, at the time the photo was taken, was listening to her negative sentiments towards a taxi driver at the airport.
She wrote: “Ako po yung nakasuot ng blue shirt, Maling mali naman po ang caption ng kuhang larawang ito.”
(I was the one in the blue shirt. The caption with the photo was very wrong.)
[facebook https://www.facebook.com/maritesp3/posts/1082468488477840]
On her Facebook page, Mina Akram, Leni Robredo’s media relations officer also clarified that Roxas was waiting for Robredo to finish her interviews with the media at the time. Roxas apparently took the opportunity to speak with OFWs as he waited for Robredo in one corner.
Moreover, Akram also revealed that Roxas and Robredo were warmly welcomed by OFWs yet admitted that their gathering was not as big “as the one of the Mocha Girls.”
She added: “It was the Mocha Girls audience who were rude to go to our area to shout Duterte’s name while our principals are talking to their supporters.”
Meanwhile, Mocha Uson, a member of the group Mocha Girls and a known supporter of Duterte, has accused GMA 7 News of biased reporting. Uson alleged the media station of failing to cover Duterte’s massive gathering in Hong Kong.
“Tinanggalan nila ng boses ang ating mga mahal na OFW! Hindi na nga nila ipinapakita sa kanilang istasyon kung gaano kadami ang supporters ni DUTERTE puro kasinungalingan pa ang kanilang ibinabalita,” she wrote.
(They deprived our beloved OFWs of their voice! They didn’t show how many supporters of Duterte there were and their news reports are full of lies.)
