FILE PHOTO: Vice presidential spokesperson Atty. Barry Gutierrez during a press briefing at the Office of the Vice President in Quezon City on July 25, 2019. INQUIRER.net/Noy Morcoso
MANILA, Philippines — With 45 days before voters cast their votes, there are still “ongoing efforts” by groups outside the campaign team of Vice President Leni Robredo to unite candidates into forming a “broader alliance” for the May 9, 2022 elections, her spokesperson said Friday.
“Right now the campaign is really focused on just doing its own thing. After all, there are only 45 days left in the campaign before we all go out to vote,” lawyer Barry Gutierrez, Robredo’s spokesperson, said in an ANC interview.
“But that said, there are groups outside the campaign who have been continuously working since last year, since the filing of candidacies in October, to still try and bring together candidates from different groups to form a broader alliance, trying to unite them under one tent, in under one banner. So these are ongoing efforts,” he added.
According to Gutierrez, Robredo is open to “exploring these unities.”
“The Vice President has always been very, very clear, she is open to having conversations…and 45 days is still an eternity in Philippine politics so a lot of things can happen,” he added.
To recall, Robredo tried to form a united opposition ticket by meeting with other presidential aspirants, namely Senators Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao as well as Manila Mayor Isko Moreno before the filing of the certificates of candidacy (COCs) in October last year.
This, however, fell through after all of them filed their respective COCs to pursue separate presidential bids.
Meanwhile, Robredo recently got the backing of former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, the president of Partido Reporma, which earlier endorsed Lacson’s candidacy.
Lacson has since left Partido Reporma and said he will continue with his presidential campaign as an independent candidate.
“It’s very, very helpful,” Gutierrez said of Alvarez’ support for Robredo.
He said this shows that Robredo’s campaign “will welcome people from different groups so long as they can agree on common values on common principles.”
“That’s a huge thing,’ Gutierrez added.