‘I am pro Duterte’: Gretchen Barretto disowns account criticizing Duterte, Congress

Gretchen Barretto (left) with President Rodrigo Duterte (Image: Instagram/@gretchenbarretto)

Actress Gretchen Barretto reaffirmed her allegiance to President Rodrigo Duterte and denied being the handler of a social media page that called for his removal in Malacañang.

“I AM PRO DUTERTE,” Barretto wrote in all caps in her Instagram page yesterday, July 10. The actress addressed her political leanings after a Twitter account with the handle @realgretchenb posted: “The hashtag is the tweet. #OustDuterteNow.”

Barretto said the page was fake and that she did not have an account on Twitter. She showed a screengrab of the “fake” Twitter account that used her name and her photo. The account also had a link to her real Instagram account @gretchenbarretto on its profile page.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCdgW-wJrU2/

With regards to the media giant ABS-CBN’s denied franchise renewal, the Twitter page likewise made a statement commending the “11 brave congressmen who truly [represent] the people.” The page then proceeded to call other lawmakers “pigs” for voting yes to the technical working group’s (TWG) report recommending the denial of the TV network’s franchise application.

Barretto said on the same day that she has not made a single statement about the media company or the Congress.

Meanwhile, the head of ABS-CBN’s Integrated News and Current Affairs, Ging Reyes, said that the TV network’s shutdown “is an attempt to curtail press freedom.” The renewal of the network’s 25-year franchise was denied yesterday, July 10, after holding 12 hearings in Congress.

The media giant went off the air on May 5, in accordance with the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) cease-and-desist order, a day after its franchise expired.

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Barretto has also been open about having close ties with Duterte, as she greeted him on his 75th birthday on March 28.

“[Maraming salamat] sir,” Barreto said via Instagram. “We deeply appreciate your friendship.”

Last October, the actress was accompanied by the President to the wake of her father, Miguel Barretto.

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After Barretto disowned the Twitter page, the account changed its name to “Not The Real Greta, Way Better,” as of this writing.

“[Unlike] the Real Greta, [I am not pro-evil,]” the account said in its profile description. “(X mark) DDSh*t”

Image: screengrab from @nottherealgreta’s Twitter page

Aside from Barretto, some stars have likewise talked about their political leanings, namely Bela Padilla, who denied being a DDS, or Diehard Duterte Supporter, and Piolo Pascual, who said he does not “do politics.”  /ra

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