Thousands turned out for the Camanava Rock and Rosas rally for presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo and her running mate, Senator Kiko Pangilinan. Some of the country’s most influential local bands and artists volunteered to perform for the Leni-Kiko tandem during the event held at the Notre Dame of Greater Manila open field in Caloocan City on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (VP Leni Media Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo urged voters to ask her rivals in the presidential race what they did and where they were before the campaign period started.
At the “Camanava Rock and Rosas” concert rally at the Notre Dame of Greater Manila and St. Mary’s Academy of Caloocan City open fields on Saturday night, Robredo said she provided assistance, particularly medical aid, to Caloocan City despite losing in the Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela) area during the 2016 vice-presidential election.
“Ang akin lang pong pakiusap, huwag sana nating sayangin ang darating na eleksyon. Pag sinabi po natin ‘wag sayangin, alam na alam natin na pag panahon ng kampanya, maraming pupunta dito sa inyo, bibisita, manliligaw. Lahat ng manliligaw sasabihin kung ano ‘yung gusto niyong marinig. Lahat na manliligaw magsasabi ng plano, ng plataporma para sa Camanava,” the Vice President said.
“Pero ako lang po, ito lang ‘yung pagpapaalala. Sa bawat pangako na sinasabi sa inyo, kailangan tanungin niyo sila. Noong hindi pa ba sila kandidato at wala pang eleksyon, asan sila? Pag sinabi nilang mahal nila kayo, tanungin po ninyo, papano ba nila pinakita ‘yung pagmamahal nila sa inyo noong hindi pa kampanya?” she asked.
Robredo said that after the 2016 vice presidential race where she lost in the Camanava, she looked past party colors and tried to provide programs that would help everybody in the area.
“Ako po alam na alam ninyo, dito po sa Camanava, napakalaki ng talo ko noong 2016. Pero ako po, noong nanalo na ako as vice president, pantay pantay na ang pagtingin ko sa lahat. Hindi po ako tumingin ng kulay, hindi ko po tinignan saan ba ako tinulungan, saan ba hindi,” she said.
“Dito po sa Camanava, tuloy tuloy ‘yung mga proyektong binigay natin. Mga livelihood programs, medical assistance, lalong lalo na po noong panahon ng pandemya. Mga ospital po dito sa Camanava – dito sa Caloocan may dalawang ospital tayong nilagyan ng pera, sa iba pong lugar meron din– kinukuwenta ko po, kulang kulang 30 million pesos ang nilagay natin dito sa inyo,” she added.
Robredo’s speech also appeared to be the shortest in any of her rallies, after she cut it short to mark Earth Hour.
Before the concert, members of Robredo’s slate for the 2022 national elections visited other areas in the cities of Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela, before converging at the Monumento Circle in Caloocan. Robredo’s running mate Senator Francis Pangilinan was also at the venue for the campaign.
Performing at the event were bands Ben & Ben, Chicosci, Tanya Markova, Tropical Depression, Color It Red, Prettier than Pink, Kontra Gapi, and Gracenote.
Before Robredo went onstage, she also met with Elmer Cordero, known as “Tatay Elmer”, one of the jeepney drivers from the Piston 6 group who were arrested in 2020 for protesting the transport ban amid the pandemic.
Robredo’s campaign in the Camanava area would prove crucial to her campaign, as the area has a large voting population. For the 2022 national elections, Caloocan City alone has over 700,000 registered voters, making it the fourth-most vote rich city in the country, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Valenzuela City follows suit with over 443,000 voters; Malabon with 258,000; while Navotas has 150,000 voters. Combined, the Camanava area accounts for 1.551 million voters.
Figures from the Comelec show that during the 2016 vice presidential race where Robredo faced off with former senator Bongbong Marcos — her opponent once again in the 2022 presidential elections — the incumbent Vice President lost in the National Capital Region (NCR) by 817,000 votes.
Robredo got 1.361 million votes compared to Marcos’ 2.179 million, Comelec data showed.
In Metro Manila’s 3rd District which includes the Camanava area, Marcos got 475,000 votes against Robredo’s 251,000 votes, for a margin of 224,000 votes.