Robredo on 2022 presidential poll: Thinking about it now is ‘useless’

Vice President Leni Robredo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / JAM STA. ROSA

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo reiterated Thursday she is not setting her sights on the presidency.

In an interview after an event in Cebu City, Robredo said: “Parang useless na paghandaan siya nang maaga kasi marami pang puwedeng mangyari.  Tapos, lalo sa akin, na mayroon akong trabaho na ginagawa.”

(It seemed useless to prepare for it early because a lot of things can happen. Especially for me, I have some work to do.)

“Tingin ko kapag ang iniisip ko na iyong 2022 elections, hindi ko na magagampanan nang maayos iyong mga adbokasiyang itinutulak ko ngayon kasi parati ko nang iniisip iyong botong kapalit,” she added.

(I think if I already think about 2022 elections, I won’t be able to do properly the advocacies I am pushing for now because I would already think about the votes I would get.)

Robredo recalled her experience during the 2016 elections,

“Huwag na tayong lumayo masyado, tingnan na lang natin iyong nangyari noong 2016 elections.  In one year, sobrang grabe iyong nangyari; iyong mga frontrunners noong 2015, na akala natin unbeatable, hindi din nagtagumpay,” she said.

(Let’s not look too far, let’s look at what happened in the 2016 elections. In one year, too much happened; those frontrunners in 2015 whom we thought were undeatable, they did not succeed.)

“Gaya sa akin, wala naman akong balak na tumakbo for a national post. Parang last minute naitulak sa sitwasyon, nagtagumpay.  Marami namang matagal na naghanda, pero hindi nagtagumpay,” she said.

(Like in my case, I had no plans of running for a national post. It was like at the last minute I was pushed into the situation, [and] succeeded. There were those who prepared way before but did not succeed.)

Robredo’s reaction stemmed from questions about the statements of former Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio, who previously said that a face-off between the Vice President and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is possible in the 2022 presidential election.

Robredo and Duterte-Carpio separately have said that talking about the 2022 elections is still premature. The presidential daughter said the perfect time to talk about it would be by January 2021. But for Robredo, thinking about 2022 elections would contradict her anti-poverty drive.

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“Ano siya, salungat siya sa ginagawa namin. Halimbawa, iyong mga communities na in-adopt ng Angat Buhay, ito iyong mga malalayo na communities na hindi naman mga vote-rich,” Robredo said.

(It would negate what we have been doing. For example, those communities adopted under Angat Buhay, these are remote communities that are not vote-rich.)

“So kapag inisip ko na iyong 2022 elections, gusto bang sabihin iiwan ko na iyong communities na iyon at pupunta na lang ako sa mga vote-rich na lugar?  Tingin ko unfair sa mga umaasa sa amin,” she added.

(So if I would think of the 2022 elections, does it mean I should already abandon those communities and would rather go to vote-rich areas? I think that would be unfair to those depending on us.)

For now, however, Robredo and Duterte-Carpio are engaged in the campaign of their respective senatorial candidates.

Robredo’s Liberal Party has formed a coalition with other opposition groups under the banner “Otso Diretso” while Duterte-Carpio’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago has 13 bets – mostly also included in President Rodrigo Duterte’s choice candidates – even if only 12 seats at the Senate are up for grabs in the May 13, 2019 polls.

LOOK: Sara Duterte’s ‘Hugpong’ launches campaign for Senate bets

READ: Otso Diretso kicks off campaign in Caloocan and Naga City

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