‘If I ever file my candidacy, I want to see it through’ – Robredo

Vice President Leni Robredo (Photo by CHARLIE VILLEGAS / OVP)

MANILA, Philippines — Why did Vice President Leni Robredo reject — or as both of them put it, “resist” — Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s “sure unification formula” for the 2022 elections?

It’s because, she said on Sunday, his proposal entailed all the contenders filing their candidacies in October — then withdrawing “at a certain time before the elections [to] support” whoever emerges as the “strongest candidate” in the surveys.

For Lacson — who had met with Robredo to discuss options regarding the 2022 presidential race — his suggestion would have been a “sure formula” that would rally the electorate behind a single candidate apart from the administration.

But for Robredo, the opposition must unify before, not after, the October deadline for the filing of candidacies, if it is to achieve victory next year.

Still, Robredo said she understands Lacson’s “out of the box” idea as being inspired by the same goal to unify the opposition.

Yet she also believes in being committed to her presidential campaign if she pursues it, she said.

‘Selfless move’

“The reason why I resisted the proposal is simple: For me, if I ever file [my candidacy], I want to see it through,” Robredo said in her weekly “BISERbisyong Leni” radio show over dzXL.

“I don’t want to back out no matter how hard the fight would be, because I had already presented myself to the public,” she said.

Lacson confirmed his proposal to Robredo.

“At that meeting, I couldn’t think of another sure unification formula,” he said in a Viber message to reporters after Robredo disclosed their discussion in her show.

“It was a selfless move on my part to offer the unification formula to Vice President Leni Robredo since she was after a united opposition/front in 2022,” the senator said.

Lacson said Robredo’s alternative—to put up a united front before the deadline for the filing of candidacies—was not feasible.

“Not filing in October in favor of one common candidate as VP Leni would want it will not happen, considering that the campaign won’t even start until February or four months later,” he said.

Even so, Lacson said he respected Robredo’s decision to “resist” his suggestion.

“I admit, while there could be some complications attendant to my suggestion, nevertheless, it was a sincere and selfless offer in support of her equally sincere efforts to have one common candidate against whoever will be the administration’s bet,” he said.

‘Life and death’

He said he also proposed to Robredo that Senate President Vicente Sotto III be the common vice presidential candidate “if only to emphasize that I have no intention of abandoning my partner.”

Robredo lags behind in the recent surveys, a factor that she acknowledges as she considers the idea of running for president.

She has also been meeting with other potential contenders with the expressed intention to form a united opposition.

“There’s time to polish all engagement and meetings, but there are things that are much more urgent now because many areas are now under enhanced community quarantine,” Robredo said.

“But the importance of unity is only emphasized now by the pandemic. It has shown how important good governance is [during a crisis], because it’s a matter of life and death if our government is not capable,” she also said.