PHOTO FROM LENI ROBREDO MEDIA BUREAU
MANILA, Philippines — Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio believes Vice President Leni Robredo would “accept the challenge” and run for president in the 2022 national elections.
Carpio made the remark Friday after the opposition coalition 1Sambayan officially endorsed Robredo as its presidential candidate in next year’s elections. Carpio serves as the lead convenor of the coalition.
“I think the message is there, lalaban siya (she will fight). Of course, I cannot say for certain, but I think I am confident that she will decide correctly, that she will accept the challenge, although that’s from my personal point of view,” Carpio said in a news forum.
Carpio said Robredo is expected to decide whether to accept the 1Sambayan nomination in the next few days. The filing of the certificate of candidacy (COC) for those who will run in next year’s polls started Friday and will be open until October 8.
“Theoretically, she can say no [to the nomination]. But judging from what she has been saying, sabi nya, ‘Lalaban ako just to stop another Duterte administration, lalaban ako just to stop the Marcoses from getting back to Malacanan’,” Carpio said.
(Theoretically, she can say no to the nomination. But judging from what she has been saying that, ‘I will fight just to stop another Duterte administration, I will fight just to stop the Marcoses from getting back to Malacanan’.)
While she remains open and ready to run for president in the 2022 national elections, Robredo said she is leaving her decision up to God.
She recently assured her supporters that she is taking calls for her to run for the president “very, very seriously,” but still stressed her push for a “united opposition.”
But what if Robredo eventually decides not to run, especially amid speculations that the Vice President will vie for a local post in Camarines Sur?
Robredo even moved her residency from Naga City to Magarao town.
Carpio believes this is not a political move for Robredo. Nonetheless, the former associate justice said the Vice President would make her decision soon.