In a speech delivered before the Senate on Wednesday, Legarda said rumors about her allegedly filing a bill reducing the leave credits and retirement benefits of public servants have been circulating through text messages and social media.
“This information is totally false and fabricated, with no other purpose than to destroy my reputation as a champion for the rights of our dedicated government workers,” she said.
“No legislator will introduce such a bill which would diminish the salaries and benefits of our personnel in government institutions that provide services critical to public safety and order,” she added.
She countered that, rather than reduce benefits, she filed Senate Bill 2355 which seeks to increase the combat duty pay of Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel by 25 percent.
Legarda, meanwhile, urged the “source of the malicious and baseless messages” to stop spreading falsehoods against her.
“We should be cooperating and creating positive change not spreading lies that will distract us from our goals and that will result in unnecessary conflicts,” she said.
She also noted it was suspicious that it happened just as the election was drawing nearer. Legarda does very well in the polls for Senate candidates. She came in second to fellow senator Francis Escudero in the last Pulse Asia survey.
“Sinuman nag nagkakalat niyan harapin ninyo ako,” she challenged.
The senator said she has an idea on who was behind it but would not elaborate further.
Fellow re-electionists senators Escudero and Antonio Trillanes IV had also been the subject of similar text messages and have likewise denied them. — DVM, GMA News
