Presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo at a whistlestop at the Hinigaran Public Plaza in Negro Occidental on Friday, March 11, 2022. Robredo and daughters Aika and Tricia rode a pink truck as they waved to the thousands of supporters who cheered them on along the road. (VP Leni Media Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday night told a large number of supporters in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, that “true unity” is the strength of the “people’s movement” propelling her campaign for the presidency – stamping out the rotten system of politics in the country.
During a grand rally held at Paglaum Sports Complex, where organizers said around 70,000 supporters attended, Robredo stressed the importance of not forgetting lessons from history and drawing inspiration from the past to cause a united action towards a better future for the country through the coming elections on May 9.
“‘Wag po nating kakalimutan ang kasaysayan. Sa halip, balikan natin ang mga aral na nagdala sa atin dito, dito nagbubukal ang totoong unity,” Robredo said amid a cheering huge crowd of “kakampinks” – in reference to her campaign color – in Bacolod.
“Ito ang totoong pagkakaisa, pagkakaisang babaklas sa luma at bulok na sistema. At magsusulong ng gobyernong tapat, na mag-aangat ng buhay ng lahat,” she added.
Robredo reminded her supporters anew to continue efforts to patiently and gently convince others to support their cause.
“(Merong) 59 days to go bago mag-May 9, alam kong ramdam na ninyo ang nararamdaman ko. Palakas nang palakas ang momentum at enerhiya, parami nang parami ang sumasama sa ating hanay, palalim nang palalim ang pagtataya sa ating laban,” Robredo said.
“Galingan pa natin ang pakikipaglaban para sa tama at totoo. Lakihan pa po natin ang ating mga puso, pwede ba ‘yon? Lakasan pa natin ang ating mga tinig para dumami pa ang makakita na pwede palang ganito magkampanya; pwede pala ang ganitong klase ng gobyerno: tapat, taumbayan ang bida, tunay na nagkakaisa,” she added.
Negros Occidental musters the biggest crowd yet for a grand people’s rally for presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo and her running mate, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, with 70,000 people packing the Paglaum Sports Complex in Bacolod City on Friday, March 11, 2022. (VP Leni Media Bureau)
This is not the first time that Robredo emphasized the meaning of real unity.
During an ambush interview in Cebu City on February 24, she said that true unity is having people from different beliefs and walks of life rallying together for a common goal of freeing the country from rotten politics. Robredo’s candidacy for president has been getting support from various groups, including former high-ranking government officials, retired police and military officials, civil society, and basic sectors, among others.
READ: Robredo: True unity is endorsement from various groups, sectors
Robredo made no mention of any particular politican or rival candidate but unity has been the central theme of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s campaign.
This is the second time Robredo and Marcos Jr. would be facing off in a national election. In 2016, both ran for vice president, but Marcos Jr. lost by a slim margin of 260,000 votes.
Marcos Jr. filed a protest before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal but the Supreme Court, sitting as the tribunal, unanimously dismissed his protest for lack of merit.