Joma, CPP deny advising Robredo
‘Journal report is fake news designed to help Marcos Jr.’
National Democratic Front of the Philippines chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison condemned as fake news a news report alleging he is a key contributor and an adviser to Vice President Leni Robredo and her spokesperson Atty. Barry Gutierrez.
In a statement, Sison denies the allegations in the article written for Journal News Online by Lee Ann P. Ducusin.
“I have not been advising Leni Robredo although I think that she is a far more qualified candidate for president than Ferdinand Jr. who has no qualification but to campaign with too much money from the bureaucratic loot of the late unlamented fascist dictator, Ferdinand Sr.,” Sison said.
He also denied consulting with Gutierrez.
The article, published by the Journal Group’s online version last Thursday claimed Sison admitted advising Robredo.
The article claimed Sison, through the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) official organ Ang Bayan, “encouraged all partisans to persevere and be steadfast in supporting Leni, who vowed to stand with the people in the fight against an oppressive system.”
The article further claimed that Sison and Gutierrez were engaged in “several phone conversations…where he laid down several pointers on how to initiate a media attack on other presidential candidates, particularly Isko Moreno and Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.”
Sison revealed that he has never been approached or interviewed by Ducusin.
CPP’s chief information officer Marco Valbuena has since denied the CPP had ever published a statement related to what Ducusin and the Journal claimed.
“This is obviously fake news concocted by Marcos in the hope of lending credibility to claims of a ‘coalition’ between the Robredo camp and the CPP in the hope of consolidating the support of the anti-communist military and police officers for Marcos,” Valbuena said.
Gutierrez also denied the report’s allegations.
“Absolute lie. Nabaliw na yata ‘yung writer. (The writer must have turned crazy.) Desperate much?” Gutierrez said on Twitter.
The Romualdez family-owned Journal group of publications is known for its anti-Robredo articles.
The powerful clan from Leyte, headed by Representative Martin Romualdez, is closely related to Marcos Jr. through his mother Imelda who was born a Romualdez. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)