Not just bullies, but also ‘matapobre,’ Isko Moreno says in latest tirade vs Robredo

Inquirer.net

ANGONO, Rizal — Presidential candidate Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on Thursday continued his bashing of Vice President Leni Robredo, this time rekindling critics’ perception that her campaign and her supporters are “matapobre,” or elitist.

In his latest salvo, Moreno insisted that he is not picking a fight with Robredo, but in the same breath, he again attacked Robredo for being a “bully.”

“Hindi naman ako nakikipag-away. I am just stating facts, na bully sila. Sila, matapobre, maliit tingin nila sa atin. Mataas ang pagtingin nila sa sarili nila, kaya sila nanghihingi ng withdrawal noong kanilang kalaban. Wala namang away doon, we are just stating facts. Na ang mga pink, bully, at sina Leni, matapobre. Yun lang yon. That’s my opinion, and that’s it,” he said in an ambush interview at the Angono Municipal Hall, where he made a courtesy call on Mayor Jeri Mae Calderon.

(I am not picking a fight. I am just stating facts that they are bullies. And that they look down on the poor, they look down on us. They think they are so high and mighty, that’s why they sought the withdrawal of their rivals. I am not fighting them, we are just stating facts, that the pinks are bully, and that Leni looks down on the poor. That’s it. That’s my opinion, and that’s it.)

Moreno said this was the reason that some Filipinos didn’t want to join the “yellow” or “pink” movement, which are the colors that critics associated with Robredo.

“Yun ang nararamdaman ng mga Pilipino bakit ayaw nila sa dilawan at sa yellow-pink, kasi nga matapobre sila, mataas ang pagtingin nila, masakit sila magsalita kapag maliit na tao,” he further said.

(That’s what the Filipino feel, as to why they hate the yellows and yellow-pink, because they look down on the poor, they look up to themselves. They use insulting words to common people.)

The Aksyon Demokratiko’s standard bearer has even called Robredo “the godmother of all bullies,” even encouraging those who were intimidated by what he called “pink bullies” to join him in his crusade against them.

Despite Moreno’s incessant attacks, Robredo merely shrugged off his tirades, saying she would only focus on her campaign.

Moreno began his rants against Robredo during the Easter Sunday press conference that he and fellow candidates former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales and Senator Panfilo Lacson held in Makati, which initially aimed at condemning the alleged push of the Robredo’s camp for her rivals to withdraw their presidential bid in order to have a bigger chance of defeating survey frontrunner, former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Robredo’s camp, however, denied any moves to ask her rivals to withdraw as soon as the campaign period began.

EDV