FILE PHOTO: Office of the Vice President spokesperson Atty. Barry Gutierrez. INQUIRER.net file photo / Noy Morcoso
MANILA, Philippines — An Office of the Vice President (OVP) official believes that it would be important to talk with people who disagree with the opposition — from critics to administration supporters — to even have a shot in the 2022 National Elections.
According to lawyer Barry Gutierrez, this has been the stand of Vice President Leni Robredo — that the opposition must engage dissenters and listen to the opinions of people who have either voiced criticism of the opposition or those who remain supportive of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“If you look at the surveys clearly, then there is a significant number of Filipinos who still approve of the President’s work or performance as of this time. So when we talk about the campaign, when we talk about the elections in 2022, we should also be engaging with people who think the President has done a good job,” Gutierrez told ABS-CBN News Channel’s Dateline on Tuesday.
“We should also be engaging with people who do not necessarily agree with everything that the opposition says. That’s the only way to actually win the election—by engaging, and talking, and listening,” he added.
Robredo has been vocal about uniting groups critical of the Duterte regime, adding that a single candidate for the opposition would give them a better chance at defeating whoever the administration would field.
READ: Robredo OK with unity among opposition in 2022 polls — spox
However, the Vice President has made several statements that indicate the need for the opposition to do some soul searching. Last May 25, in a forum hosted by the University of Cambridge’s MPhil in Public Policy Class of 2021, Robredo said that the opposition must understand why people favored populist leaders despite the risks.
She said that it might have stemmed from people being excluded from discussions, leading them to shy away from liberal political ideologies.
READ: To combat populism, recognize why such an idea emerged – Robredo
Recently, Robredo also gave a stern reminder to her supporters, urging them to refrain from thinking that only those from their side of the fence — the Liberal Party — have the monopoly of being good.
The remarks were made after Robredo was included among six possible candidates for the 1Sambayan coalition, a group that seeks to unify the opposition for the 2022 polls.
READ: Robredo urges supporters: Don’t think we’re the only ones who are good
In relation to that, Gutierrez said that Robredo had maintained cordial relations with the other 1Sambayan nominees — which includes Senator Grace Poe, Batangas 6th District Rep. Vilma Santos, Cibac party-list Rep. Eddie Villanueva, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, and lawyer Chel Diokno.
However, her previous discussions with the other 1Sambayan nominees were not in the context of running for 2022.
“She has been open to meeting these people, of course, in different contexts. Not in the context of ‘let’s go run together in 2022’. But in the course of the last five years, she has had cordial relations with all of these people,” Gutierrez noted.
READ: 1Sambayan names 6 choices to pit vs Duterte’s anointed in 2022
In a separate interview last June 5, Gutierrez also admitted that the opposition would be in for a tough fight in 2020, considering that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed restrictions on travel and large gatherings, which could dent campaigns.
As early as April 2021, Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and former senator Bongbong Marcos — both identified with the administration — have led presidential surveys conducted by polling firm Pulse Asia.
READ: Opposition says 2022 polls an ‘uphill but winnable battle’
READ: Sara Duterte, Bongbong Marcos, Grace Poe lead Pulse Asia’s 2022 presidential survey