Journalist Raissa Robles came under attack for what her critics deemed as an insensitive tweet involving the late former Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
She tweeted about how former Senator Bongbong Marcos would have become president, had he won as vice president, with the passing of Santiago last Thursday, September 29, had she won as president.
If MDS had become President and her VP had won, Bongbong Marcos would now be President. Think about it. https://t.co/cJptIj1e2z
— Raissa Robles (@raissawriter) September 29, 2016
Robles also tweeted about how Santiago was one of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ speech writers and how she worked for Imelda Marcos’ brother, Benjamin “Kokoy” Romualdez in the Philippine embassy in Washington. This was in reply to another Twitter user who asked for confirmation on whether Santiago started her political career during Marcos’ time.
When someone asked her to “pay (her) last respects” to the late senator, Robles replied that she was merely telling the truth.
She also tweeted a screenshot of trolls calling her names.
Another troll disguised as a cute girl. pic.twitter.com/UBpJZVG4nQ
— Raissa Robles (@raissawriter) September 29, 2016
Another Twitter user called her out, telling her that she can be truthful “without being an asshole.” But Robles responded: “Si Du30 ba asshole din ba siya? He says more horrible things. Do you call him out?”
Someone defended her, saying that Robles’ tweet was not about disrespecting Santiago, but stating a fact intended for Bongbong.
In another tweet, Robles said that when she interviewed Santiago, the former senator was indeed brilliant, but that interview also told her that Santiago was “closet Marcos loyalist.”
I have interviewed Sen. Miriam D. Santiago. She is brilliant, yes. But she turned out in the end to be a closet Marcos loyalist.
— Raissa Robles (@raissawriter) September 29, 2016
Robles also agreed with one Twitter user who said: “(People) only wish to remember the good parts, the comfy parts, the parts they agree with. Respect means remembering the totality.”
Someone also defended Robles from the “insensitivity comments, tweeting: “It isn’t insensitivity because I recognize the person’s achievements/contributions. My point is simply to never forget.”
Robles also responded to that Twitter user who asked, “So what if Bongbong became president? Di ka rerespeto?”
Because my dear, Bongbong Marcos to this day is trying to stop the government from getting back the wealth his father stole fr us taxpayers. https://t.co/nF6pokBKgm
— Raissa Robles (@raissawriter) September 29, 2016
And to all of those who bashed her, Robles asked: “Dear pro-Dutertes, why is it you clap when he brutally says something but you can’t take it when someone else does? Selective?”
Because my dear, Bongbong Marcos to this day is trying to stop the government from getting back the wealth his father stole fr us taxpayers. https://t.co/nF6pokBKgm
— Raissa Robles (@raissawriter) September 29, 2016
In her Facebook post, Robles also wrote how “sociologically interesting” it is for Filipinos to applaud Duterte when he makes the most outrageous statements but “dogpile” her and accuse her of not respecting the dead when she was only telling the truth about Santiago’s political career.
“Are they ashamed of the things I’m saying? Am I telling lies?”
Sources: (twitter.com, facebook.com)
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