VP Leni apologizes to Binay for hard work remark: I didn’t mean to belittle him

• Robredo apologized to Binay over work ethic remark
• She said she didn’t mean to demean his own efforts as housing czar
• She explained that she merely wanted to quell doubts that she underperformed as HUDCC head

MANILA, Philippines – A day after former Vice President Jejomar Binay’s camp scored her for seemingly downplaying the role of previous heads of the Housing Urban and Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), Vice President Leni Robredo apologized and said she did not mean to belittle anyone else’s hard work.

“That is not in reference to parang tatawaran iyong pagod ng iba. Mali lang siguro ang aking pagkakasabi at nag-a-apologize din ako,” Rappler quoted her as saying.

[That is not in reference to belittling the efforts of other people. Maybe I just said it the wrong way and I am also apologizing.]

Robredo then explained that she merely wanted to quell accusations that she had performed poorly as a housing czar.

“Siguro mali iyong pagkakasabi ko. Siguro ang pagkakasabi ko is just to emphasize na iyong passion at iyong commitment, at iyong hard work na pinu-push ko siguro hindi naman matatawaran,” Rappler quoted her as saying.

[Maybe the way I said it was not right. I made those remarks just to emphasize that my passion, commitment, and hard work cannot be discounted.]

Binay spokesperson Joey Salgado earlier called out Robredo whom he said was trying to paint herself as someone who worked hard at the expense of others.

“According to VP Robredo, she is perhaps the only HUDCC chair who personally attends board meetings and works on weekends and at home. I cannot speak for the other previous HUDCC chairs but perhaps she hasn’t heard of former VP Binay’s work ethic,” he said.