“Maging disente po tayo.”
The call was made by Daang Matuwid spokesperson and Akbayan Rep. Barry Gutierrez after the reported harassments of Duterte supporters of an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Hong Kong.
Marites Palma, who is working in Hong Kong and supporter of Roxas, has been receiving hostile online attacks after coming out recently on social media to dispel the ‘untruth’ being circulated by the Duterte camp about a photo of Mar Roxas taken during the Roxas-Robredo campaign rally in Hong Kong over the weekend.
“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,” Gutierrez said.
A supporter of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has uploaded the photo showing Mar Roxas listening intently to an OFW supporter speak and surrounded by a few others, and “miscaptioning” it as Roxas ‘almost conceding defeat’ following their rally which the supporter claimed, shows that “Duterte has captured the OFW votes.”
“Maging disente tayo. Si Mar, pinabayaan ang isang Duterte supporter na umeksena sa kanyang sortie—hindi sinaktan, hindi siya ngayon binu-bully ng mga Mar supporter, ni hindi siya pinapansin. Dahil ito sa halimbawang ipinapakita ng kanilang lider—disente,” Gutierrez said.
“Hindi tama na gamitin ang Santo Papa para sa pulitika. Hindi tama na magsinungaling tungkol sa resulta ng isang survey. Ang disiplina para sa lahat. Simulan mo sa iyong sarili, Mayor,” the spokesperson added.
Setting the record straight
Palma, who attended the Roxas-Robredo rally and was the one talking to Roxas when the photo was snapped, responded to the camp of Duterte and his supporters to set the record straight.
In her Facebook personal page, she said, “Ako po yung nakasuot ng blue shirt [sa larawan]. Maling mali naman po ang caption ng kuhang larawang ito. Matama pong nakikinig sa aking hinaing si Mar Roxas tungkol sa aking naging karanasan noong inuwi ko ang aking pinsan, na may malaubhang sakit dito sa HongKong. Yung hinaing ko tungkol sa taxi driver sa airport na nangotong sa amin from airport to the terminal papuntang Isabela.”
The Roxas camp confirmed that the photo was taken after the campaign rally was ended. Roxas, who was then waiting for running mate, Vice Presidential candidate Leni Robredo to finish her interview, chose to listen to a few of their supporters who stayed behind to share their issues and concerns.###
BRIGADA NI BARRY 