Warm welcome for Leni Robredo in Cavite rally

Supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo, many of them from the youth sector, gather a the General Trias Sports Park in Cavite on Friday, March 4, 2022. (VP Leni Media Bureau)

GENERAL TRIAS, Cavite — A big crowd which organizers estimated at 47,000 supporters welcomed presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo and her team at the grand rally at the General Trias Sports Park in Cavite on Friday.

Robredo, however, was not sure if a large crowd will be on hand at the grand rally since she was already welcomed during her town-to-town visits.

INQUIRER.net tried to contact local police on Friday to ask whether the numbers were accurate, but they have not responded as of posting time.

“No’ng nasa Tanza po kami, napakarami ring tao do’n, ang sabi ko po sa mga kasama ko, meron pa kayang pumunta sa Gen Tri?  Akala ko naubos na ‘yong mga tiga Caviteng pumunta kanina sa mga pagtitipon,” Robredo told the crowd.

“Pero maaga pa po kaninang hapon, pinakitaan na po nila ako ng mga pictures, nandito na kayo ang aga-aga pa; at ngayon po hating-gabi na, andito pa rin kayo, napaka-taas pa rin ng energy level, wala na po kaming masabi, maraming salamat,” she added.

Vice President Leni Robredo reads placards of supporters in Silang, Cavite on Friday, May 4, 2022. (Image from VP Leni Robredo / Facebook)

Several Cavite residents have dubbed the movement to support Robredo’s presidential bid as  “800k Minus One” — supposedly in reference to Gov. Jonvic Remulla’s vow to deliver 800,000 votes for Robredo’s leading rival, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

 The odds

On the sidelines of the Cavite event, 6th District Board Member Kerby Salazar thanked members of the organizing team for delivering a huge crowd despite a hastily-planned program.

 “47,000 na tayo, congratulations,” he told organizers and some members of the press near the stage.

In the 2016 vice presidential race, Robredo won over Marcos by over 152,000 votes.

In 2022, Robredo is running as an opposition candidate, which she acknowledged would be different compared to her 2016 bid.

Cavite is also considered as the bailiwick of another presidential candidate, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who hails from the said province.

Remulla, however, has already endorsed Marcos and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

Lacson said he respects Remulla’s decision.

Robredo told Cavitenos in attendance in General Trias that the support she receives from volunteers  fuelled her drive to seek the presidency, despite being ridiculed for the past six years.

 “Sa totoo lang po, aaminin ko sa inyo, dahil po sa karanasan ko noong five and a half years, lahat po yatang pag-aalipusta, pagbu-bully, lahat na yata– lahat na yatang kantyaw sinabi sa akin ‘lugaw, lutang, bobo,’ ano pa? Lahat ng masabi niyo, nasabi na tungkol sa akin.  Ang sabi ko po sa sarili ko, ‘Bakit naman hahayaan ko pang dagdagan ‘yung six years para ganoonin ulit ako nila?’,” Robredo asked.

(To tell you the truth, I will admit to you, because of my experience for the last five and a half years, with the ridicule and bullying and all being called “rice porridge, crazy, ignorant, what else? All bad things you may say to me had been thrown to me. So I told myself: Why will I let them do this to me for another six years?)

“Pero alam niyo po ‘yung dahilan kung bakit andito ako ngayong gabi, pareho din ng dahilan kung bakit andito kayo. At ‘yun po ‘yung kahit napakahirap, gaya po sa inyo, nag sakripisyo kayo. […] Pero bakit tayo tumatiyaga? Dahil malaki ‘yung pagmamahal natin sa ating bayan,” she added.

(But do you know that the reason I am here tonight is because of the same reason you’re here. And that is even though  how difficult this is, you’ve sacrificed because of your love for the country.)

 gsg