FILE- Vice President Leni Robredo —JAM STA.ROSA
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday said she was still in “exploratory talks” with other presidential aspirants—an arduous but “necessary” process —in finding a common ground with other contenders seeking to challenge the administration’s candidate.
Common ground
In a television interview, Robredo clarified that while she had categorically rejected Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s “sure unification formula,” she did not completely rule out forging a winning electoral proposal with him.
“In fact, one of the things we agreed on is that once Sen. Manny Pacquiao arrives, we will try to sit together and discuss,” she said. “It’s a continuing thing until we hit common ground.”
“I expect it would not be easy because [we] come from different political parties, and believe in different things,” she added. “But just because we don’t agree [on] one, [there’s no reason why] we can’t agree [on] other proposals anymore.”
However, Robredo maintained that Lacson’s proposal for everyone to file their candidacies and then withdraw later in favor of the front-runner based on surveys would not be fair to their supporters.
“Once they bet on you, they’re basically expressing support for your fight,” she said. “If you withdraw in the middle of that game, it’s like deceiving them.”
United opposition
So far, Robredo has already met with or reached out to Pacquiao, Lacson, and Senators Tito Sotto and Richard Gordon, but she refused to discuss in detail what they have talked about so far.
The meetings stem from her belief that the opposition must broaden its base if it wishes to emerge victorious in the upcoming 2022 elections amid surveys showing that the majority of respondents prefer Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte to be the next president.