MANILA - Both booted out from President Rodrigo Duterte's Cabinet, Vice President Leni Robredo and former interior secretary Mike Sueño this week campaigned for dismantling disinformation under her leadership.

Sueño, who had campaigned for Duterte in 2016, called Robredo "the next president of the Republic of the Philippines" during her campaign sortie in Koronadal, South Cotabato on Tuesday.

He recounted that in the early days of the Duterte presidency, their Cabinet meetings would often start with the President "praising" Robredo, who was housing secretary at that time.

"This was an opportune time or chance for VP Leni to be 'sipsip' (obsequious) with the president and get a much higher Cabinet position. But she was silent and very determined and focused. She had a strong sense of morality," said Sueño.

"When she started pointing out government excesses and impunities, she lost her Cabinet position," he continued.

Robredo quit her Cabinet post after opposing Duterte's drug war, push for death penalty, and the hero's burial for the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

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Marcos' son and namesake lost to Robredo in the 2016 elections. He is among her rivals for the presidency in May's polls.

Since quitting the Duterte Cabinet, Robredo has faced online "lies" that branded her as stupid, weak, and absentminded, said Sueño.

"Lies and [misinformation] are also prevalent in our country for years now," Sueño said. "Our history is revised in favor of a dictator."

"Martial Law years will be [the] golden era of Philippine history, that life was beautiful and Filipinos were happy, human rights—no human rights violated and no military—no military abuses committed, no wealth stolen kuno (supposedly), and democracy flourished kuno, that tons of Tallano gold will be made available to Filipinos," he added.

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A former South Cotabato governor, Sueño urged fellow Mindanaoans, "We cannot be passive and neutral and allow our history be rewritten."

"We must act now. If we don't, chances are that the beneficiaries of these lies and [misinformation] may come out winners of this year's national election," he said.

Some 4 months after Robredo's resignation from the Cabinet, Duterte dismissed Sueño after other interior officials accused him of collecting grease money from illegal gambling rings through his grandson, a police official.

Sueño earlier denied the allegation.

“I just wished the information was validated. If only the President asked DILG personnel from the central down to the regional and field offices, he would have known who amongst us are more credible and trustworthy,” he said in 2017.

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ROBREDO IN SOCCSKARGEN

Robredo trailed Marcos in the latest Pulse Asia survey on preferred presidential candidates, where he secured the backing of 60 percent of likely voters and she scored 15 percent.

Pulse Asia said Marcos enjoyed the lead in all geographic areas and socio-economic groupings. Meanwhile, Robredo posted double-digit voter preferences across geographic areas and socio-economic classes, except in Mindanao, where she got 5 percent.

While in Region 12, Robredo bagged the support of former South Cotabato representative and chair of the Mindanao Development Authority Luwalhati Antonino.

Antonino joined Robredo at the General Santos People's Rally on the same day Sueño declared his support for the presidential candidate.

Former Sarangani governor Miguel Dominguez, meanwhile, introduced Robredo to a crowd of supporters.

Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco also endorsed Robredo's presidential bid.

Muchas Gracias, Twitter world for making us trend! 💖 Vaya Con Dios! 🎀 #ZamboangaIsPink

📸 via Olympinks fb page pic.twitter.com/dfcyyD47Ys

— Beng Climaco (@Beng_Climaco) March 17, 2022

Roberto "Ka Dodoy" Ballon, 2021 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee, handed Robredo a pink oar with the phrase "Bagong Pagasa" at the Zamboanga People's Rally on Thursday.

Robredo barnstormed through Soccsksargen for 4 days and ended her tour on Friday at Plaza Luz in Pagadian City, where she met with a multi-sectoral people's assembly.