Vice President Leni Robredo formally announced her bid for presidency in the 2022 national elections before her staff and supporters in a brief ceremony held at the Quezon City Reception House on Thursday, Oct. 7. (Photo by OVP)
MANILA, Philippines — Senators Leila de Lima and Francis Pangilinan on Thursday threw their full support behind the 2022 presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo.
In a statement, De Lima thanked Robredo for deciding to run for president, hailing the latter’s “mettle, moral courage, competence and resourcefulness” despite her office’s “meager” budget as well as efforts to vilify her.
“Ang desisyon ni VP Leni ay simula ng pag-asa at pag-asam ng marami para sa isang mabuting liderato sa susunod na anim na taon [The decision of VP Leni prompts the hope and desire of many for good leadership in the next six years]. It has to be Leni. It can only be Leni,” De Lima said.
“Most importantly, VP Leni has the clearest vision – along with the good heart and the bright mind to match it – of where we ought to be: a better place and a brighter future, away from this national nightmare of the past five years. And she has the right character, the correct attitude, and the best tools that can take us there,” she added.
De Lima said Robredo provides a “decent alternative” for a new leader of the country as the senator pointed to the “bungled the pandemic response.”
“VP Leni has the full grasp of the important issues, has comprehensive and doable solutions, and has the abilities and proven track record to address the most pressing problems that plague us,” De Lima added.
She also praised Robredo for her bravery, hard work and desire to take care of Filipinos, especially those who are less fortunate.
“Despite the meager budget for her office and the marginalization and vilification she’s getting from Duterte and his gang, VP Leni has amazingly shown her mettle, moral courage, competence and resourcefulness,” De Lima said.
“All these years—especially during the ongoing pandemic—VP Leni has demonstrated time and again her brand of proactive and compassionate leadership. In services and programs that she personally supervises on the ground, she has extended much-needed assistance to our medical frontliners, workers, urban poor, rural communities and other disadvantaged groups,” she added.
De Lima also noted that the Commission on Audit’s “outstanding reviews” of Robredo’s office shows “how transparent and incorruptible she really is.”
We ‘deserve only the best’
Pangilinan, president of the Liberal Party, also expressed full support for Robredo’s presidential bid.
“We, the Filipino people, deserve only the best,” he said.
Like De Lima, Pangilinan touted Robredo’s contributions in the pandemic response despite the lack of a high annual budget for her office.
“Saan ka pa? Walang masyadong pondo, pero umaapaw na tulong at gawa, lalo na ngayong pandemya [Where else will you go? She did not have that much funds but there’s an overflowing amount of help coming from her, especially amid the pandemic],” Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan, who earlier announced his bid for a Senate reelection in 2022, is said to be the running mate of Robredo for next year’s elections.
READ: Kiko Pangilinan chosen by various groups to be Robredo’s vice president
