Vice President Leni Robredo and former Senator Bongbong Marcos (FILE PHOTOS)
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo is more than ready for a one-on-one face-off with former senator Bongbong Marcos in the 2022 presidential elections.
Robredo has defeated Marcos in the 2016 vice presidential elections, but the rivalry between the two — which has even reached the Supreme Court through the former senator’s electoral protest — seems to be far from over as both are being floated as possible presidential candidates in next year’s elections.
Robredo, however, insisted that while she is ready to run in next year’s presidential polls, there are still other factors to be considered.
“Ang pinakamadali kong gawin magkandidato eh, para matapos na itong lahat ng speculation di ba? Yun ang pinakamadali. Pero ang pinakaimportante yung after the elections eh,” Robredo said in her weekly radio program.
(The easiest thing to do right now is run, just to end all speculations. That’s the easiest thing to do. But the important thing is what do we want to happen after the elections.)
“’Yung pagkakandidato ko ba, makakatulong ba siya sa ayaw nating mangyari? Ano ba yung ayaw nating mangyari? Na itong administrasyon na ito mag-continue beyond 2022? Na si Marcos makabalik in power? ‘Yun yung ayaw nating mangyari. So yun ang considerations ko,” she added.
(Will my candidacy help stop whatever we want to happen? What do we want to stop? That the administration continues in 2022? That Marcos will return to power? That’s what we don’t want to happen so that’s my consideration.)
Robredo continued: “Sabi ko nga, kung one-on-one kami ni [Marcos], go na go ako doon! (As I said, if it’s just one-on-one with Marcos, I’m more than ready!)”
The Vice President also reiterated her earlier commitment that she is also ready to run if she will be chosen as the “unity candidate.”
“Pero kung hindi ako at maghahati-hati kami ng boto, yung tanong: Best interest ba yun ng bayan natin, ng bansa natin? Sabihan ako ngayon na one-on-one kayo, ngayon mismo magfi-file na ako,” Robredo said.
(But if it’s not me and we will just split votes, the question is: Is it the best interest of the country? If they tell me now that we will go one-on-one and right there and then I will file my candidacy.)
Earlier this month, Marcos said he is considering running for president in the 2022 elections.
According to Marcos, he’s considering aiming for the presidency because many of his supporters prefer him to do that rather than running as vice president.