The former spokesperson of then Vice President Leni Robredo has blasted former President Rodrigo Duterte for allegedly being a "hypocrite" for claiming to defend free speech and the right to protest.

Former Office of the Vice President spokesperson, Atty. Barry Gutierrez, said that he saw through his “hypocrisy” when the former President baselessly claimed that the Marcos administration was “stifling dissent.”

Duterte claimed that he “never ever prevented anyone from exercising his or her right to peacefully assemble,” but Gutierrez called out his alleged deceit.

Under the Duterte administration, not only was the ABS-CBN television network forcefully removed from the airwaves after its franchise was revoked, the former President also banned a reporter from covering the Palace grounds, resulting into a chilling effect on the press and rights advocates.

“Wala talagang prinsipyo,” said Gutierrez in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on the former President’s refuted allegations that the administration had a hand in cancelling his prayer rally in Tacloban City, Leyte.

But Duterte’s rally was already being rejected by the Taclobanons, who will soon celebrate the feast of Santo Niño de Tacloban next month.

Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said they would rather celebrate the feast than hear “blasphemous protests by Maisug rallyists led by Duterte.

“They’re celebrating the Feast Day of Santo Niño. Maraming relihiyoso dito. Natatakot din ang mga tao dito. May pagmumura, hindi maganda ang sinasabi. ‘Di naman nila gusto ‘yun,” Romualdez said.

“Hindi naman sa kalye inaayos yan. Pag may problema nag-uusap naman. Yung anak nya Vice President, eh di kausapin si Presidente anytime. Kami mga simpleng tao sa Tacloban, ano magagawa naman po namin?” he added.

Tingog Partylist Representative Jude Acidre agreed with the Taclobanon faithful.

“Huwag naman sana gamitin ito na pamamaraan para mambastos. Mas marami pa yatang mura (ang mga naunang rally nila). Wala naman akong naririnig na panalangin," said Acidre.

Romualdez also slammed Maisug rallyists for compelling people to go outside when a typhoon was striking the country, stressing that the local government was just protecting citizens.

“Huwag na ganon. Bakit palalabasin ang mga tao kung umuulan? Masama ang panahon. Tapos pag may mangyari, syempre sagot din namin yon,” the local chief executive said.

“Hiling ko lang naman sa kanila, dito sa Tacloban, kasagsagan ng Yolanda, natapos ang Yolanda, dini-discourage talaga namin ang rally rally. Wala naman ho maso-solve yan eh,” he added.