“Vice president” and presidential candidate Leni Robredo in an online forum with kasambahays (household servants) made a statement encouraging her supporters to be a party to vote buying. The Manila Bulletin reports how Robredo told her audience in that forum to “[accept] money from politicians during the campaign season”…
“Parati kong sinasabi tanggapin nyo kasi galing din naman ‘yan sa atin. Yung pinambibili ng boto, pera din ‘yan ng taumbayan. Tatanggapin mo pero ang iboboto mo kung sino ‘yung nasa konsensya mo (I always say to accept it because that comes from us. The money they use to buy your vote, that’s people’s money, too. Accept it, but vote who is in your conscience),” she said during a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 26, with members of Kasambahay for Leni.
First of all, how is Robredo sure that, as she claims, the money used to buy votes is “people’s money”? Campaign funds are mostly sourced from private donors. Robredo seems to suggest that all campaign funds were illegally obtained. That is evidently not true and she is misleading her supporters by suggesting that accepting these bribes is the right thing to do. Worse, Robredo is telling them that this is money that is theirs to take. That is so messed up!
Second and the more important point, in issuing the above statement, Robredo violates the law as per Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code where it is stated in paragraph (b), “Conspiracy to bribe voters. Two or more persons, whether candidates or not, who come to an agreement concerning the commission of any violation of paragraph (a) of this section and decide to commit it.” Paragraph (a) which the above refers to states…
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a. Vote-buying and vote-selling.
1. Any person who gives, offers or promises money or anything of value, gives or promises any office or employment, franchise or grant, public or private, or makes or offers to make an expenditure, directly or indirectly, or cause an expenditure to be made to any person, association, corporation, entity, or community in order to induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or against any candidate or withhold his vote in the election, or to vote for or against any aspirant for the nomination or choice of a candidate in a convention or similar selection process of a political party.
2. Any person, association, corporation, group or community who solicits or receives, directly or indirectly, any expenditure or promise of any office or employment, public or private, for any of the foregoing considerations.
By giving her blessing to these kasambahays to receive bribe money and by assuring them that this is right conduct during an election, Robredo has, effectively come to an agreement concerning the commission of any violation of paragraph (a) (quoted above) with her supporters.
Receiving bribes is, by itself, a crime. Robredo should know better than to condone — in this instance, encourage — criminal activity. This is astoundingly irresponsible behaviour coming from no less than a Philippine “vice president” as she is pushing her followers to enter into an illegal transaction with criminals.
To be fair, it is clear that Leni Robredo is just plain dumb. A true bonafide crook would not go and make stupid public statement about one’s own crooked intentions. However, committing a crime because of plain stupidity is still a crime — just like a stupid driver driving in a stupid way that puts lives at risk is a criminal. Leni Robredo should be made accountable for her actions. Now na.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Okay Benign0, the pro-Marcos Loyalist, please criticize Leni Robredo & the Aquinos and glorify the strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos and his family for his golden era of achievements.
We don’t want any terrorists and trolls be on the loose.
@Propaganda Boy:
The Aquino era is gone…and , we, GRP commenters, are not terrorists or trolls, because, we criticize Lugaw Robredo…
If you cannot understand, Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Information…you are as Dumb as Lugaw Robredo…your political icon…
Well, I am not dumb or damned as other politician’s supporters. GRP commenters wanted to see Marcos loyalists with Benign0.
But its really in the law, she violates the law and should be disqualified,you’re just turning blindeye on what she did,the best thing u can do as her supporter is u should remind her to use her deadbrain so she will not get any negative comments because 0f her kabubohan
Leni Robredo is not my political icon. Why not tell Zaxx or Benign0 about Marcos’ discipline and order not democracy?
Then we want to glorify and praise Ferdinand E. Marcos yet the Marcos loyalists would possibly urge us.
@Propganda Boy:
Marcos Sr. is long na tepok…he is no longer relevant in a political discussion. If his son is running; ask him his political platform and what can he do do for you…
Trolls like you are on the loose
You cannot just label anyone as pro-Marcos or pro-Aquino when they are discussing facts and their analysis to the situations. Note that facts are backed with reference
Lugaw Robredo, may sign a law, if she wins the Presidency, that “vote buying”, will be legal…
I have not seen a political candidate, as Dumb, as Lugaw Robredo…Her dumbness, is beyond any human comprehension; and she wants to become a President …may God help/save us !!!
Leni Robredo is damned so Marcos loyalists want to condemn her but they want to worship Ferdinand E. Marcos, their strongman even if he is already dead.
@Propganda Boy:
It is now near Halloween…so, some people may visit/worship their dead…
For conjectural purposes, it’s unclear really whether we can pin Robredo on the alleged crime of bribery through buying/selling of votes. For one, we don’t know her exposure on the issue. Telling people to accept money because she thinks that it’s their money anyway does not exactly fit the provision on the election code. As I understand it, the law meant to punish the party committing the act of bribery. If Robredo is the one distributing the money in exchange for a vote, then she’s liable under the law. If she’s just opining or speaking aloud on some issues and not really committing the act punishable, there’s no violation there.
My take, no disqualification. : )
Leni Robredo deserves to be disqualified thanks to Marcos loyalists bashing her!
Yeah, Like you always do, Propaganda Boy. You love watching the world burn. Must be relaxing for you.
And people want conservatives to say no to vaccines and no to liberalism. The distorted logic. We are not trolls or terrorists in some way.
@Propaganda Boy Yep, you’re as insane with what you’re claiming “It’s Marcos Loyalist this and that!”. Your finger pointing won’t save you bruh.
@Propaganda Boy:
I am Pro Filipino; not a Pro Marcos loyalist…
The problem is the way she worded it that it made her look like promoting vote buying. This is what happen when you don’t think before you utter the word. This should the lesson here, think before you speak.
Parang sa emergency procurement yan. Kapag mahirap ka at nagugutom, uunahin mo ang makaraos kesa isipin kung legal ang pinanggalingan ng pera o tulong na binibigay. Hindi ako pro-Leni, pero iyon lang naman ang sa akin.
Pero Marcos loyalist ikaw. =D
I forgot if there’s a saying like, “the fool brings themselves down with their own words” or something like that. That seems appropriate for this case.
I also think an effect of Robredo’s words is, “is that how you think of us household helpers? You think we’re dishonest like that?” Sanitize as you will the vice president’s words, but that’s another way it comes across.
Lenny is dumb as a post.
Even manny is smarter than her, and manny is only one pebble brighter than a pile of rocks.
Lugaw Robredo is as dumb as a rock….repeatedly failing her Law Bar exams, proves she is dumb…
I cannot vote for candidates, who failed in their exams…I never failed in my school exams, or any exam…
So, you want a “bagsak sa exams” to lead you ?
Except it prevents you from practicing your chosen profession, which I admit is important, I don’t know what’s wrong in failing an exam.
Completing a certain course like law and graduating from it is a confirmation of an education or learning you accomplished on that particular field of knowledge. When you graduate you get a degree.
In so far as studying is concerned, you are done. Finished.
However, you still need license in order to have the authority to legally practice your chosen profession. That’s all there is to it: to practice. Acquiring a license has nothing to do with your intellectual capacity. The fact that you finished your course is proof that you are not ‘dumb as a rock’.
Ferdinand Marcos was number one in the bar examination. But look where it got us. Could circumstances be different if he failed his exam the first time before becoming a lawyer? : )
One or two rocks maybe,three is stretching it.
but clearly, not any smarter than a decent pile of rocks
(2 to 3 class A boulders,4 to 6 stones, a bunch of pebbles, and a handful of dirt)
Now in a debate, lenny and her intellectual peer manny pac would go toe to toe..this should be fun and hilarious to watch.
Heck manny pac debating vs a pile of rocks would be pure comedy gold, they should have it on PPV