In a March 22, 2022 post, Twitter user @KuyaTalks claimed that it was Dinagat Governor Kaka Bag-ao and not Vice President Leni Robredo who handled the case of the Sumilao farmers, who marched 1,700 kilometers from Bukidnon to Malacañang to fight for their land in 2007.
While it is true that Bag-ao served as lead counsel of the case, Robredo was part of the group of lawyers that assisted the farmers.
Before running for public office, Robredo worked as a human rights lawyer for Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panlegal or SALIGAN, a non-government organization “doing developmental legal work for the marginalized, disadvantaged and exploited sectors in the Philippines.”
SALIGAN provided legal assistance to the farmers during their years-long struggle to win back the land that they should have received through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
Quoting the tweet, lawyer Vincent Frederick Dancel – a former SALIGAN member – belied the claim that Robredo was not a lawyer for the Sumilao farmers.
He noted that the case was handled by a team of lawyers, including SALIGAN members in Manila, Bicol and Davao.
Read the full story on Fact-Check Patrol.
