MANILA – The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo has refuted allegations that they paid attendees to join her campaign rally in Cavite.

• Robredo takes motorcycle to beat traffic en route to Cavite rally

“May mga tao nga doon may mga sign na hawak sariling gawa, di ba. ‘800,000 minus one… Pero 'yang mga kuwento na mga bayad-bayad, nagbibigay daw ng pera para sumali sa caravan o sa rally, last year pa 'yan. At napabulaanan na 'yan,” Robredo spokesperson Atty. Barry Gutierrez told a radio program Sunday.

Gutierrez said these volunteers even used personal money just to show their support for Robredo.

“Sila ang naglalabas ng pera, di ba, para magpa-print ng mga poster, para mag– gumawa ng kanilang mga signs, para magkaraoon ng mga t-shirt,” he added.

“At gaya nga ng binanggit niyo, 'yung pagpunta doon sa mga venue talagang 'yung mga tao ay naglalakad, talagang sila ang nagkukusang magpunta diyan. Walang kahakot-hakot sa mga rally na ito.”

(They spent money to print posters, signs, and t-shirts. Those who went to the venue walked, voluntarily attended the event. No one was paid to go there.)

“Ang hirap kasi sa ibang mga politiko, siguro nakagawian na nila na doon sa mga rally nila talagang hakot ang kailangan nilang gawin para magkatao. So, iniisip nila 'yun lang ang tanging paraan para magkaroon ng tao sa isang political rally,” Gutierrez added.

(There are unfortunately some politicians who think that they can gather people only if they pay them. Maybe that's the only way they know.)

Gutierrez’s comments come as Cavite Representative Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla claimed that attendees of a recent campaign rally in General Trias, Cavite were paid P500 each for their presence at the event.

He even went on to red-tag some of the event’s attendees, claiming that they were groomed by the National Democratic Front (NDF).

Remulla did not name names in the radio interview, but Robredo campaigned in Cavite on Friday night.

Speaking on ANC’s “Dateline,” the lawmaker clarified that he was not alluding to the vice president when he claimed that a politician paid supporters to attend a rally.

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

“Hindi siya,” the lawmaker said, when asked if he was pertaining to the vice president.

“So yung statement na ýon shouldn’t be lumped together with the statements that you said after that?” host Karmina Constantino asked.

Remulla answered, “Alam mo ang pulitiko Karmina kampo-kampo yan eh. Pag nasa kampo ka ng kabila, lahat ng ibato sa kasama mo tumatama rin sa’yo.”

“Kaya ganun ang nangyayari, nagpa-panic sila, kasi nabibisto yung gimik nila. Kasi gusto nila na magkaroon ng bandwagon effect sa Cavite, eh wala naman talaga eh. Alam mo yung exaggeration lang ng dami ng pumunta sa rally, hindi ako maniniwala sa dami na yon,” he said.

He maintained, however, that some of the attendees at Robredo’s event were “hakot” or non-Cavite residents mobilized to attend the rally.

“Nakita ko yon Karmina, I saw it with my own eyes. People alighting from the jeep, young students, may mga mass manufactured flags sila, na medya-medya ang tawag sa kahoy na dala nila, may banderang pink.”

The Robredo People’s Council – Cavite has denounced Remulla’s red-tagging of the youth who attended Robredo’s event.

“Ang iresponsable at mapanirang konklusyon na ito…ay sadyang makapaminsala sa moral at dignidad ng mga kabataang Caviteno na ang nais lamang ay iwasto ang pamamalakad sa ating pamahalaan,” they said in a statement posted on the Facebook of their provincial convenor Kerby Salazar.

(That claim is irresponsible and destroys the morality and dignity of the youth from Cavite who merely want proper governance.)

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv