(UPDATE) President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he was "not sleeping" at the height of the Cagayan floods last weekend and was attending an ASEAN Summit, as he attacked Vice President Leni Robredo, whom he accused of looking for him during the calamity.
Duterte said he was up at daytime Saturday, attending the ASEAN meetings, even as he is a "night person." He said he and his Cabinet were on top of the situation.
"I would just like to caution to the Vice President. She made a blunder, a big one and she practically lied, making her incapable of truth," Duterte said, accusing Robredo of saying that he was absent during the storm.
Robredo replied on Twitter, with a video post of relief operations she is helping organize.
"Hindi ako natutulog noon. Gising ako sa umaga because of the summit," he said.
"There was no need for you to make a very masamang biro na where were you?" he said. "'Wag ka masyadong porma-porma hindi mo pa talaga panahon," he said.
Robredo said she did not ask where the President was and that she called our Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo for spreading "fake news."
"Sa panahon ng matinding sakuna, dapat lahat na tulong, welcome. Hindi ito contest. Hindi tayo nag uunahan. Lahat tayo dapat nagtutulong tulong para sa ating mga kababayan," she said.
Robredo had been active in typhoon relief since Rolly (Goni) struck at the start of the month until Ulysses (Vamco) last week. Duterte said the vice president is not part of the chain of command.
"Next time do not commit the mistake or ill be forced to insult you," he said.