Looking for sympathy

“On what does Leni base her conclusion when she states that even in the company of women friends and if seen in social circles, such women are considered easy?

Before a Philippine-Australian forum in Sydney, Australia, there went the second highest official of the land, Vice President Leni Robredo, complaining before a Fil-Aussie business group of being a target of malicious criticism. Frankly, this showed her to be a very weak person and one moreover who quickly folds when criticism, personal or political, comes her way.

Robredo, in her effort to be seen as a political martyr who is being crucified by misogynic criticism, while in a foreign country, lamented that women in politics were still targets of criticism due to their gender.

Leni was quoted as saying, “My being a woman — and my being a widow — has paved the way for a lot of malicious… malicious and undeserved criticism on my person, and that does not… it’s not the same for men.”

“It is still a reality that women in politics are still easy targets — especially now that there’s social media, especially now that there is fake news,” she stressed.

She added: “When you’re seen outside — even if you are with girls — if you’re seen in social circles, you’re seen as being easy. Not with men. Men are more… They give more allowance for male politicians.”

On what does Leni base her conclusion when she states that even in the company of women friends and if seen in social circles, such women are considered easy? It just doesn’t make sense for anyone to jump to the conclusion that being seen in social circles makes a woman an easy target. That’s too general a statement for anybody, especially coming from a vice president, to make.

Leni complains about being criticized, criticism which she immediately brands as malicious, and where she, a female politician, claims to be a target.

The criticism she gets — mostly on her political missteps and hardly anything to do with her personal life — is nothing when one compares the criticism she and her yellows blast almost daily at President Duterte and others.

As if it was not enough to make herself look like a female political martyr and object of sexual slurs, Robredo brought up the issue of the detained senator, Leila de Lima, on charges of her involvement in illegal drug activities.

Leni was quoted as saying that a woman senator has been detained and stands accused of “many unfounded, you know — who has been the recipient of many unfounded accusations,” adding that “the male counterparts, even if there are bases for the same accusations, are not, you know, crucified in the same manner that she has been. So, it’s still not the same. Although there are many women leaders in the Philippines already, the treatment is still not the same.”

So, who says the charges against Leila de Lima are unfounded or even imply that she is a sacrificial yellow lamb, when the law on drug trading calls for jail with no bail? Besides, her case is being heard in a court of law.

By way of Leni’s claim of Leila being an innocent victim by way of “malicious criticism,” she should remember that too many witnesses have already testified of De Lima having been involved in an affair with a married man. Still, it is to be noted that these criticism against Leila came due to House hearings where she was being requested to attend, but a request she turned down.

Leni went on and on about women being treated differently. But was the issue of her being the alleged target of what she calls “malicious” criticism the topic that was supposed to be the theme of the business council? It certainly didn’t look like it, considering that the forum has been touted as a business forum.

Robredo then said the government should give local government units incentives for coming up with laws that seek gender equality and empowerment of women.

For crying out loud, Leni Robredo. We have had two Filipino women presidents, women senators, women governors and women in government Cabinet levels, women chief operating officers in private business establishments and Filipinos have to be stuck with a female vice president who appears not to have what it takes to be a vice president, and worse, a strong president, if that is what she aspires for — at least before the term of Duterte is over.

Leni just blew her opportunity to fashion herself as a strong female leader, and equal to any strong male president — or even stronger because some men are weaklings, too.

When a woman wants to be seen as an equal, she should not only show her strength but also prove it.

Instead, Robredo, the second highest Philippine official — for now — has shown herself to be a weakling, both as a woman, and a politician.