• Vice President Leni Robredo got accused of wearing a death blanket on a Rizal Day ceremony.
• An Ifugao expert clarified that it was not a death blanket but an Ifugao ikat as Robredo is an active promoter of the Ifugao products.

Vice President Leni Robredo was in the middle of a controversy regarding the skirt she wore while leading the Rizal Day rites in Luneta Park on December 30.

Facebook page Luminous by Trixie Cruz-Angeles & Ahmed Paglinawan first posted the photos, accusing Robredo of wearing an Ifugao death blanket and suggesting that she should read about cultural appropriation.

Ifugao expert and University of Hawaii graduate Stephen Acabado clarified that the Vice President is not wearing a mistaken-to-be a death blanket, but an Ifugao ikat.

Ikat is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles prior to weaving the fabric.

He added that this just shows how many Filipinos are ignorant about the Philippines’ history.

Page Ifugao Nation also clarified that the fabric is not funerary and that many Ifugao weavers are actually recipients of Robredo’s Angat-Buhay programs and she also helps in the promotion of their products.

• Nancy Binay made a statement about the said list released by former Davao City vice mayor Paolo Duterte.
• She said that it was “not accurate nor validated” and is a case of “misinformation and disinformation”.

Senator Nancy Binay called out Presidential son Paolo Duterte for releasing a list of supposed personalities and companies that are plotting to oust his father from being the Commander-In-Chief.

A few days ago, the senator made a statement after the former Davao City vice mayor posted facebook. The unvalidated list included people, groups, and businesses allegedly behind plots against President Rodrigo Duterte. This included her father, former Vice President Jejomar Binay.

She slammed the “misinformation and disinformation” move, which was shared by most pro-Duterte social media pages and websites.

“The information was not accurate nor validated. It’s painfully evident that basic intel is lacking at present. The supposed list in connection with the alleged destabilization plot against the President reflects the sorry state of state intelligence, and the handicap of our intelligence and counterintelligence structures.”

She said that she took pity on the agency that gave the report to the vice mayor.

“Naaawa ako doon sa agency na nagbigay ng intel report kay vice mayor. Sa tingin ko, kailangan silang tulungan para mai-improve naman ang kanilang level of intel capabilities. Kapag kasama na si Jollibee, McDonald’s at mutants sa destabilization plot, it’s a cause for alarm. It means our country is already in grave danger.

“The awkward question: Ano ba talaga, kuya? Diliman ba o dilawan? Kasama nga ba si Jollibee, Ronald, Hetty, at Padawan?”

The list included Vice President Leni Robredo, media personalities, restaurants, and religious personalities.

• Agot Isidro reacted to a video of Persida Acosta singing You.
• Netizens have also poked fun on the PAO chief’s rendition of the song.

Actress Agot Isidro reacted to a tweet containing a video of Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta singing You by Basil Valdez.

Agot poked fun from the video by saying, “Diyos na Mahabagin, bakit poooo???”

Acosta was seen having fun at a gathering and was singing via a karaoke. She even fought her way through the high parts of the song and earned the applause of the people around her as soon as she was done with her singing.

https://twitter.com/SpammyHammy4/status/1070197328332521472

A Netizen said that he thought he’s tone-deaf, but Acosta proved him otherwise.

Salamat Persi. Sa talentong ipinakita mo lumakas ang loob ko na kumanta. Akala ko pangit ang boses ko at sintunado, dinaig mo ako.

So abogada, doktora, singer ka na rin ngayon? Ano pa ba ang hindi kayang gawin ni Persida?

— Kulas (@iamkulasparov) December 5, 2018

Another said that he needed something to stop himself from eye-rolling every time he gets to see the lawyer, like an “Acosta vaccine”.

I need an Acosta vaccine! Yung tipong di mag- roroll yung mata mo pag nakita sya

— Xi JinPooh (@EduardoJoseVN) December 5, 2018

Other Twitter users resulted to replying memes just to get their message across.

pic.twitter.com/tT2r1NO53q

— P O O H t a h #StandWithWorkers (@mamaMATTaynaaq) December 5, 2018

https://twitter.com/zeke148_da/status/1070155128051654657

Agot is a known critic of the President Rodrigo Duterte administration. She has previously expressed that she is skeptical of President Duterte’s role in the government as she finds Vice President Leni Robredo more effective.

“The Vice-President acts more presidential than the President. President be talaga yan?” she said in a tweet in May 2018.

She has also urged for the jailing of Imelda Marcos, posting phrases like, “I-selda si Imelda!”

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte is not keen on giving any position in his cabinet to Vice President-elect Leni Robredo.

In a press conference held Tuesday, May 31, at what they called Malacañang of Davao, President-elect Duterte said there was no compelling reason for him to make Robredo part of his official family.

“There’s no compelling reason for me to accommodate the Vice President. I’m sorry,” Duterte said.

READ: ‘No compelling reason for me to give Leni a Cabinet post’ – Rody

Duterte cited political alliances as his reason not to give Robredo any cabinet position. He said it’s a political reality that he and his family have close political ties with the Marcoses noting he doesn’t want to hurt his friend Bongbong Marcos who lost to Robredo.

“Kaibigan ko si Bongbong. That is the political reality. My father (Vicente) was the Cabinet secretary of the late father [of Bongbong], besides, I won in Ilocos Norte,” Duterte said.

(Bongbong is my friend. That is the political reality. My father (Vicente) was the Cabinet secretary of the late father [of Bongbong], besides, I won in Ilocos Norte.)

“Non-committal ako diyan kasi kilala ko si Bongbong. I know Bongbong Marcos. I don’t want to hurt him. Leni will understand, she’s from the opposite side,” he added.

(I’m non-committal about it because I know Bongbong. I know Bongbong Marcos. I don’t want to hurt him. Leni will understand, she’s from the opposite side.)

Robredo won over Marcos in the vice presidential race with just a 263,473 vote margin.

Meanwhile, Vice President-elect Robredo humbly respected Duterte’s decision to not appoint her to any cabinet post.

In a statement, Robredo said with or without cabinet position she is focused on fulfilling her duty as the duly-elected vice president of the country.

READ: With or without Cabinet post, I’ll fulfill duty as VP – Robredo

“May posisyon man o wala, sisikapin kong matupad ang mga pangakong binitiwan ko sa ating mga kababayan sa abot ng aking makakaya,”

(With or without any position, I will try my best to fulfill the promises I made to our countrymen to the best of my ability.)

Early on, she also stressed that the president-elect is not duty bound to give her any cabinet position, adding she is not entitled to demand or ask to be appointed.

“Naiintindihan natin kasi prerogative naman niya kung sino iyung ia-appoint niya sa Gabinete. Siyempre, kahit sinong Presidente, i-a-appoint niya iyung buo iyung kanyang tiwala, buo ang kanyang paniniwala sa kakayahan nito,” Robredo said.

(We understand that it’s his prerogative to choose who to appoint to his cabinet. Of course, any president will appoint someone whom he/she fully trusts, whom he fully believes in their abilities.)

“From the very start naman, naiintindihan natin na wala naman akong karapatan mag-demand ng anything, wala nga akong karapatang mag-expect ng anything. Kung bibigyan, salamat. Kung hindi naman, magko-concentrate tayo sa pagiging pangalawang Pangulo,” she added.

(From the very start, we understand that I don’t have the right to demand and expect for anything. If given then we’ll be thankful, if not then we will focus on my duty as Vice President.)