By putting up Leni Robredo as a poster girl of virtue, humility, and a champion of service to “the poor”, the Yellowtards have built themselves into a fragile house of cards. The fragility of this political brand came to light this week following Robredo’s latest public gaffe where she assured her audience in a forum for kasambahays (household servants) that selling their votes is OK.
As expected, Yellowtardom quickly shifted to damage control bringing to bear the mass communication might of their allies in Big Corporate Media who were quick to issue “clarification” around what Robredo said and frame it within the “proper context”. Robredo’s statement was quite categorical, however. So clear was her message that a generic tweet issued by Commission on Elections (COMELEC) spokesman James Jimenez copped a deluge of defensive responses from Robredo’s mob.
I disagree with the notion of taking the money and voting according to your conscience. Vote buying is an election offense regardless of financial situation or noble intentions. Di dapat ginagawa, at di dapat sina-suggest yan sa mga botante.
— James Jimenez (@jabjimenez) October 26, 2021
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Yellowtard lawyer and “thought leader” Gideon Pena voiced a similar sentiment in a tweet fielded even earlier than Jimenez’s.
Unfortunately, so intense was the Yellowtard defense campaign that even he was forced to delete said tweet and issue a subsequent backpedal.
It was a privileged take. Thanks for educating me on the issue.
— Gideon V. Peña (@attygideon) October 26, 2021
For his part, Jimenez stuck to his guns even in the face of attacks against him coming from Yellowtard Netizens and even the media — like the true man of conviction that he is.
Yes. I’ve disagreed with anyone and everyone who has ever said that people should accept vote buying money, even if they later on vote their conscience. And I will disagree with anyone who says it in the future. https://t.co/54x2M1ws8s
— James Jimenez (@jabjimenez) October 28, 2021
If the Yellowtards think their “strength” lies in their “solidarity”, they should think again. The spinelessness exhibited by Pena comes at a stark contrast to Jimenez’s steely consistency. This goes to show that mobs are not necessarily made up of strong individuals.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
This is more like Leni’s rabid fans and they’re just defending their queen as any rabid fans do. You know, the typical like attacking anyone who has a bad opinion about their beloved Leni, even though she’s at fault.
Vote buying is wrong ; no matter how you justify it. It is bad; it corrupts ordinary people like me; although, it has been practiced by most politicians.
Maybe, Lugaw Robredo is one of the politicians, who do vote buying. ” Magkaano ba ang boto mo ? “
Let us for a moment forget the person who made the statement. I say that because even if it was spoken by Isko or BB or Ping and others its impact will really not affect the general thinking of the voting public that knows vote buying/selling exists. Regardless of who said it, it is part and parcel of our election process.
However, that stark reality does not in any way an admission that it is OK to sell/buy votes. Clearly, it’s a violation of election laws. The problem is, it is one that have not punish anybody for its transgression.
For example, Cardinal Sin, famously attributed to have exhorted the voters to accept the money and vote according to one’s conscience, never got the retribution for breaking the law. I know of no one of prominent stature that got penalized on the idea the good Cardinal suggested. Worse, even those who commit the actual act of buying/selling gets to pass, unpunished.
In a word, it is a lame a law. : )
For this new election season, I do believe it would “fair” for mass media to actually ask the same question of the other candidates like Isko, Pacquiao, Bato and BBM. See what they answer.
We might get a non-answer or a fake one, but you can at least get an “answer” to gauge them off of their reply.
I’m curious now since it was first asked of Leni this “election season”, if the other parties have forbidden the question altogether to avoid similar gaffes from happening.
Vote Buying/Selling is something I personally don’t condone, but I would like Comelec to actually extend review and clarification to what Pacquiao is doing with his “handouts”. Does it constitute a “bribe”? I personally think it is borderline that needs clarification because it can sway a person’s vote.
Each person has his/her own realities on the ground but as long as it is just in black and white, there is no grounds to argue for the grey area, or hard to argue for it.
What’s the point in asking candidates when it’s evident that hardly any vote buyers get charged. People take the giveaways and shut up about it because they need it. Just ask the voters if they actually vote for those who give them bribes.
This is all because lenny is noted for having a tiny brain.
Not an intellectual giant, this lenny.
her intellectual peer would be manny pac, who sharpens his presidential brain by playing chess(strategy,geopolitics) , billiards(trigonometry,economics), darts(concentration, projectile physics)and basketball(organizational dynamics, hand eye coordination).
Other activities for which you can get advanced credits from umak :
Giving money to the poor (sociology, social work)
Acting in own movie (theater arts, film )
Being able to read at grade 3 level(literature)
Owning basketball league(business administration)..so many more..in fact, umak should have given manny a degree outright without having to enrol at all
If a politiko tried to give me cash that’s enough to buy a smartphone, I will take the cash and buy a phone so I could use it to inform other voters that the choice of whom to vote for is still theirs.