Several law profs say Robredo can uphold rule of law; Jesuits say she’s morally credible

Vice Presidet Leni Robredo waves to her supporters during her campaign sortie in Batangas. File image from Facebook / VP Leni Robredo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo has received yet another endorsement, this time from some law professors and priests who believe that an administration with her at the helm can uphold the rule of law.

In a joint statement released on Friday, 75 law school professors across the country stressed that there has been a lot of transgressions that the country experienced under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, which they have confidence Robredo could correct.

“There have been too many transgressions of our constitutional rights during this most repressive regime. There have been far too many abuses of their authority by those in this administration. Their evident ineptitude, intolerable. Their plunder of our coffers, immeasurable, and it persists,” the group said.

“Enough.  The rule of law in our country must be restored. We trust Leni Robredo to achieve this, to make this happen,” they added.

The over 110 Jesuit priests meanwhile said that of all the candidates running for the country’s top elective offices in the 2022 polls, it is only Robredo and her running mate Senator Francis Pangilinan who have shown immense moral credibility to carry out their duties.

“After assessing each presidential and vice-presidential candidate, we endorse Vice President Leni Robredo for President and Senator Kiko Pangilinan for Vice President,” the priests said.

“We believe that VP Leni and Senator Kiko display the least self-interest and are the most credible to promote truth and social justice, protect our democratic principles and freedoms, and pursue our visions for the nation,” they added.

The Jesuits also hoped that voters would cast their choices this upcoming election based on truths, and not due to falsehoods.

“As election day draws near, we pray we choose truth over falsehood, compassion over coercion, right over might,” they noted.

But aside from merely endorsing Robredo, the law professors also said that voters should not be swayed by former senator Bongbong Marcos, stressing that the candidate’s constant promise of unity cannot be attained without justice.

“We include in this expression of our fullest support for Leni Robredo our strongest rejection of the present efforts of the son of a deposed dictator who, with all and nothing but arrogance and who is evidently without any proven measure of real competence, now seeks to return to Malacańang,” the lawyers said.

“We cannot and we will not ignore his present efforts to confuse or mislead voters with his most incoherent and undefined calls for “unity.” We echo this expressed and correct sentiment – there can be no unity without justice.

The lawyers also took notice of Marcos’ supposed lack of a platform should he get elected as president.

“He has offered no concrete platform or any tangible program of government. He has not expressed a clear commitment to uphold the rule of law, our Constitution. Indeed, he has, on many occasions, made it clear that he does not even know, or understand, our Constitution,” they claimed.

Many groups — with different backgrounds — have come out to endorse Robredo.  Over the past few weeks, several cabinet officials of former presidents Benigno Aquino III, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and Fidel Ramos have expressed support for the Vice President.

Then, groups of economists, former Filipino officers of the United Nations, and past Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) employees have backed Robredo’s candidacy — aside from other personal endorsements she received from different local personalities and officials like retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. and Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda.

READ: Robredo gets endorsement of 47 former Arroyo officials 

READ: Former UN officers from PH back Robredo’s presidential bid 

JPV