Dahil sinipag ako magsulat ngayon, here's my two cents on the controversial issue regarding Jillian Robredo's visit at the Baguio City Public Market. There's a lot to unpack here so isa-isahin natin. Let us look at the facts instead of falling prey to our emotions or worse, relying on misinformation. Maybe some people are not going to agree with me here, but hear me out.
1. Bawal ba mangampanya sa Baguio City Public Market? Hindi. Kahit saang sulok ng Pilipinas ka pumunta, walang nagbabawal na mangampanya ang isang tao o grupo ng supporters sa merkado publiko. In fact, political candidates like Benjamin Magalong and Mauricio Domogan recently held campaign sorties right inside the public market. Wala pong mali sa pagkampanya sa loob ng public market.
2. Did Jillian say "let me educate you" which allegedly provoked the person to start shouting at her and her group? Ang dami akong nakikitang posts na sinabi daw ito ni Jillian. But it’s not true. Imbento lang po ito. Walang basehan. Walang video evidence. Walang recording evidence. Walang confirmation evidence. Kung meron kayong ebidensiya na sinabi nga ni Jillian ito, send me the evidence. I will readily change my mind.
3. Cliff, the man caught in the middle of this controversy has released a video statement addressing the incident. According to him, nanigaw lang daw siya dahil binastos siya ng isang Robredo supporter. Here's his version of the story:
Cliff: "Excuse me po, padaan po dahil nagmamadali ako."
Robredo supporter: "Wala akong pakialam, ang importante iboto mo si Leni."
Read that exchange again. Kapani-paniwala ba? Does it read like a normal conversation to you? I don't know about you and no offense intended to Cliff pero sorry, medyo mahirap itong paniwalaan. A normal person will not answer that way pag may nag-excuse o nagrequest ng padaan. The group didn't even know who Cliff was so why would they talk to him like that. Baka pa nga akala nila isa din siyang supporter. Pag nangangampanya ka, hindi mo sinusungitan kinakampanyahan mo. Again, if Cliff can show evidence that someone really said this to him, his version of the incident will be more believable.
4. Cliff said in his statement na hindi nararapat ang pagkampanya sa loob ng market. In his own words, referring to Jillian’s group, "hindi nila nirespeto ang market". Again, hindi bawal ang mangampanya sa loob ng market. Refer to point number 1. And I repeat, Magalong and Domogan and their fellow candidates have recently campaigned inside the market. They even held events there. Would Cliff also say to Magalong and Domogan na "hindi nila nirespeto ang market"? Yung grupo ni Jillian, dumaan lang. Yung ibang kandidato, nag-rally sa loob mismo ng merkado. Tapos yung grupo ni Jillian pa ang considered na disrespectful? Double standards ito kung sakali. Mali po yun. Dapat patas tayo sa pagpataw ng standards.
5. Cliff says hinaharangan siya ng grupo ni Jillian. Crowding is normal during campaign events especially on public places. Ako pag naka-encounter ako ng maraming tao at hindi ako makadaan, naghahanap ako ng alternate routes. For example, pag may event sa Session Road at madaming nakaharang na tao, dumadaan ako ng Mabini or Harrison or sa Assumption. In short, maghanap ng paraan. Maghanap ng ibang puwedeng madadaanan. Maki-sama tayo. Dahil hindi mawawala mga ganyang siksikan pag may events. Honestly, maraming puwedeng daanan sa Baguio Market kung medyo siksikan sa main alley. Daming corner alleys dun na puwede daanan. Gaya ng sinabi ko, normal lang ang crowding at siksikan sa mga ganitong events. Totoo, nakakaperwisyo pero minsan kelangan talaga na tayo yung mag-adjust. We have to give these events leeway dahil hindi naman araw-araw ang mga yan. Yung grupo ni Jillian, andun lang ng ilang oras. Kung ginawa nila araw-araw, eh mali yun. Pero once lang naman at dumaan lang sila. Maliit na bagay. Supportado man natin o hindi yung kinakampanya nila, hindi dapat nauuwi sa confrontation.
6. Cliff said in his video na ipinaglalaban lang niya kanyang mga karapatan bilang mamamayan. If he's referring to his freedom of speech, I agree with him 100%. Other than that, I'm curious what other rights he's referring to. Or better yet, what were his rights that he thought were being violated. I'm genuinely curious.
7. "Dayuhan ka lang, mga Igorot kami." I don't know kung ano punto ni Cliff dito. If I remember correctly, the woman in the video he was speaking to is a Baguio local. Many of the supporters in the group are also Igorots. Hindi ko alam kung bakit napunta sa point na naging lapagan na ng tribal roots. I hope this is not a case of a fellow Igorot harboring misplaced pride over non-Igorots. I'm an Igorot myself and minsan nakaka-alarma when fellow Igorots pull out the "Igorotak card" in issues where race and tribe are non-factors.
8. Cliff says he did not have direct confrontation with Jillian. The confrontation was with a supporter. I believe him on this one. It's very clear naman sa video. So I agree with him, the media outlets which wrongly reported that Cliff personally heckled Jillian need to apologize to him.
9. Cliff claims that “dinuro-duro” siya ng isang Robredo supporter. To verify this claim, we need to look back at the video. In the video, the woman is seemingly trying to pacify Cliff to diffuse the situation. Sa video, sino ba yung nagtataas ng boses? Sino ba yung sumisigaw? The woman o si Cliff? It's very clear that the woman is trying to calmly address the situation but Cliff just kept on shouting. Sa mga ganitong situation, ang bastos ay yung patuloy na sumisigaw hindi yung taong willing naman makipag-usap.
10. In the video, Cliff is recorded shouting “kayong mga Leni ang magnanakaw, hindi Marcos”. Well, that’s a very serious accusation. Ano mga ninakaw ng mga Robredo? Magkano ninakaw nila? Cliff needs to back up his accusations. If he has evidence to show, that’s great. Ilabas niya. If he can’t back up his accusations, these could be grounds for a legal case. Pero sana hindi hahantong ito sa demandahan.
11. Based on the videos from various angles of the incident, kitang-kita naman na hindi ganun kasiksikan at the time sa market. Maluwang pa nga eh. Based on the videos, mabilis naman si Cliff na nakalusot through the crowd.
12. Last but not the least, Cliff said na dinuro-duro siya at pinagbabastos ng babaeng Robredo supporter. Again, based sa videos on the incident, mukhang wala namang ganun na nangyari. The Robredo supporter he's referring to is actually a lawyer and a Baguio local. You can hear her say "hoy, taga-Baguio din ako ha" when Cliff kept on shouting at her and screaming things like "dayuhan ka lang dito, mga Igorot kami". Kahit sino naman ganun ang sagot pag pinagsisigawan ka tapos inaakusahan kang dayo lang eh taga-Baguio ka din mismo.
