Robredo doubts beating self-imposed Sept. deadline on 2022 plans

Vice President Leni Robredo during her 2021 Ulat sa Bayan. Screengrab from OVP

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo is now expressing doubts as to whether she can actually make an announcement regarding her 2022 presidential bid before September ends, as discussions with other potential candidates are not yet done.

Robredo said that she might have to delay her decision until October 8 — the last day for the filing of certificates of candidacy — instead of her promise to make a decision by the third or fourth week of September.

“Alam mo iyong deadline sanang binigay ko sa sarili ko, third or fourth week of September,” she told reporters on the sidelines of her office’s Vaccine Express program at San Fernando, Pampanga.

(Youn know the deadline I gave myself was on the third or fourth week of September.)

“Hindi ko alam kung kaya naming ma-beat iyon, pero mayroon pa naman until October 8. Ang dasal ko lang na sana lahat willing. Sana lahat willing na mag-usap. Lahat willing na to set aside kung ano man iyong mga kahirapan namin sa kaniya-kaniyang naming mga grupo for the country,” she added.

(I do not know if we can beat that, but we still have until October 8. My prayer is that all of us are willing, willing to talk about this.  All of us are willing to set aside whatever our struggles with our own groups, for the sake of the country.)

Robredo’s decision on whether she would run for president, or for a local post, or retire from politics has been heavily anticipated even before 2021.  Recently, her spokesperson Atty. Barry Gutierrez said that Robredo’s decision would come soon, as she previously promised.

READ: Coming soon: VP Robredo’s decision on 2022 presidential bid 

But during the same ambush interview earlier, Robredo also admitted that she has not finished talking to other personalities rumored to be making a presidential bid too, like Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Senator Manny Pacquiao.

Earlier, Robredo said that all the three of them would try to meet together to discuss the elections.

In terms of previous discussions, it appears that Robredo’s talks with Senator Panfilo Lacson did not end well, as they disagreed on Lacson’s proposal to have all presidential bets file their certificates of candidacy and then withdraw for the candidate with the highest chance of winning.

READ: Lacson says Robredo’s ‘outright’ rejection of ‘unification formula’ left him ‘quite disappointed’ 

READ: Robredo to back Isko-Pacquiao tandem if it will bring end to current regime 

Several grassroots organizations have asked Robredo to join the presidential run in 2022, saying that she is the best candidate for the country.  However, recent surveys from Pulse Asia showed that Robredo lags behind other possible presidential candidates.

At the top spot was President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.  She was followed by Moreno, former senator Bongbong Marcos, Senator Grace Poe, and then Pacquiao.

If elections were held on that period, Robredo would have received only six percent of the votes according to Pulse Asia.

READ: Duterte-Duterte tandem leads in Pulse Asia survey 

JPV