Malacañan Palace took issue with comments made by Vice President Maria Leonor ‘Leni’ Robredo during the recent anniversary celebration of the Liberal Party (LP), where she characterized the current state of the country by saying, “Darkness envelopes us.”

“Many ask us if there is still hope,” Robredo added. “Where we are headed?”

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque responded to the vice president, saying, “Robredo’s remarks during the anniversary of the Liberal Party [are] completely out of touch with the existing realities on the ground.”

He noted recent polling that showed the Philippines as the “third happiest” country in the world, 96 percent of Filipinos expressed optimism about 2018, and, referring to the last Pulse Asia survey for 2017, found President Rodrigo Duterte with an 80 percent approval rating and an 82 percent trustworthiness rating.

Roque suggested the “darkness” pointed out by Robredo refers to “discredited politicians who wish to return to power.”

Meanwhile, Liberal Party president, Senator Francis Pangilinan, noted, with a number of politicians flocking to the ruling PDP-Laban following Duterte’s victory in 2016, he said, “If it were up to me, I won’t allow those who left to come back.”

During the anniversary event, the LP swore in 500 new members.

In contrast, the most recent PDP-Laban oath-taking ceremony saw around 4,000 new members following an event last week at the Pototan Astrodome. Among them was former LP provincial chairman, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor, Sr.

Following a PDP-Laban mass oath-taking last October, which saw around 14,000 participants attend ceremonies in Victorias City and Bacolod City, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez called out the LP, claiming they were preventing the Duterte administration from proceeding with its agenda./PLL, WDJ