Vice President Leni Robredo woos voters in Oriental Mindoro. Photos from VP Leni Media Bureau
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo has asked the electorate of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro to give her and Senator Francis Pangilinan a chance this May 9, 2022 elections, promising that if they get elected, the common folk would take part in the government’s decision-making process.
During her visit to Calapan, Oriental Mindoro on Thursday, Robredo said that her government — should she win in the 2022 presidential race — would not only give voice to the people but also engage them in discussing issues.
“Pero ito po ‘yung pinapangako ko sa inyo, pag kami po ‘yung binigyan niyo ng pagkakataon manilbihan, kabahagi po kayo ng aming magiging pamahalaan. Dahil ang gobyerno po, hindi lang kami ‘yun,” she told the crowd at the Pinamalayan Park.
“Ang gobyerno, tayo ‘yun lahat at ‘yung pinapakita niyo po ngayon sa amin, nandito kayo. Hindi lang kayo nakikinig pero kabahagi kayo ng ating pinaglalaban. Kahit po anong pera, kahit anong makinarya, wala ‘yung sinabi sa pagkakapit-bisig ng taumbayan,” she added.
The promise of an inclusive government has been one of the key talking points of the vice president during her speeches, saying that forming a people’s council in every community so that residents of an area would have a voice in decision-making, to ensure that government projects would benefit the public.
READ: Robredo says kind of government in next 6 years at stake in May polls
Robredo hoped that she would get the support of people from Oriental Mindoro again, just as she won in the 2016 vice presidential elections even if she was just a new name in politics.
“Noong 2016 po, baguhan ako. Pumunta din ako dito sa inyo, hindi niyo pa ako kilala. Nangangako lang akong hindi ko kayo papabayaan pero kahit po baguhan ako, napakalaki ng panalo ko dito sa inyo. Kaya ngayon po, nagpapasalamat ako hindi lang po sa botong nakuha ko noong 2016 pero nagpapasalamat po ako dahil hanggang ngayon, pinapakita niyo po sa amin ‘yung pagmamahal na pinakita niyo sa amin noong 2016,” Robredo said.
“Kaya maraming maraming salamat sa inyo, ‘yung mga kabataan dito, sino ba ‘yung first time voters? Marami ‘yung first time voters. Di ba pag first time, ayaw mong sayangin? Kaya sa atin po ang hinihingi natin sa mga first time voters, ang kapangyarihan nasa kamay ninyo. Wag po natin itong sasayangin sa pagboto nang hindi tama,” she added.
Still, Robredo reminded the crowd about candidates that might make many promises during the election season, stressing that it is important to ask for proof that they have really been working for the people.
“Ngayon pong kampanya, maraming pupunta dito. Ngayong kampanya, maraming manliligaw sa atin. Pero, okay naman na pakinggan natin sila pero huwag basta-basta magpapabola, puwede ba ‘yun? Pag nangako po sa atin, ano ang dapat nating sabihin? Asan ang resibo?” she asked.
READ: Robredo: The days of rotten politics are numbered
“‘Pag sinabi nila na mahal ko ang Oriental Mindoro, mahal ko ang Pinamalayan, tanungin ninyo sila. Noong wala bang eleksyon, naisip man lang ba nilang silipin kayo dito? Dahil pagdating po ng kampanya, maraming nagsasabing ‘Mahal ko kayo, aasikasuhin ko kayo’. Pero ang resibong kailangan natin, asan kayo noong hindi pa kampanya?” she added.
Robredo in 2016 got over 134,000 votes in Oriental Mindoro, ahead by 62,000 versus then vice presidential candidate and now Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero who placed second in the said polls.
Former senator Bongbong Marcos — Robredo’s opponent in the last 2016 vice presidential race and now in the upcoming polls — managed to get 69,509 votes.
In Occidental Mindoro, Robredo also emerged on top in 2016, leading Marcos by over 22,000 votes. However, the vice president was a candidate of the sitting administration back then.
Now, Marcos has the upper hand if latest surveys were to be believed: according to Pulse Asia’s latest survey, Marcos would be the runaway winner if elections were held from January 19 to 24, 2022, with 60 percent of the respondents picking him.
Robredo was a far second, with only 16 percent opting to vote for her during the said time period.