SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines — Within a week, Vice President Leni Robredo managed to stage massive shows of force in her supposed weak spots as a presidential candidate: Davao del Norte, a stronghold of the Dutertes; Pangasinan, a known Marcos bailiwick, and here in Pampanga, Arroyo country.
In San Fernando alone, over 220,000 “Kakampinks” showed up to support Robredo, her running mate Sen. Francis Pangilinan, and their senatorial slate by 6 p.m., local police said.
This far exceeded the 137,000-strong crowd who went to Robredo and Pangilinan’s mammoth PasigLaban rally last March 20.
The Robredo Pangilinan People’s Council, the main volunteer group based there, pulled out all the stops for the tandem’s visit to Pampanga, known for its huge lanterns and world-famous sisig.
Pink and green lanterns and witty placards adorned the field while celebrities like Nadine Lustre, Sharon Cuneta, Sam Concepcion, K Brosas, and Miles Ocampo lent their star power to the massive pink rally at Robinsons Starmills.
Presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo and her running mate, Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, receive the endorsement of Pampanga’s local leaders and 220,000 supporters who joined the Manalakaran: Pampanga People’s Rally at Robinsons Star Mills on Saturday, April 9. 📷(VP Leni Robredo Media Bureau)
Unexpected crowd
But the true star of the show was Robredo herself, who said “she had never dreamed that I will ever stand on a stage here with so many people.”
This was because, in 2016, Robredo had lost in the province — bailiwick of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who has endorsed her chief rival, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“This might be my biggest crowd yet,” a surprised Robredo said. “Maybe if you were paid, maybe you would have gone home by now, but you endure your exhaustion, heat and hunger because you are thirsty for good governance.”
“Why do you make these kinds of sacrifices? Because of your great love for country,” she said. “You understand that this election is not just choosing the kind of candidate you like, but the kind of future you will have for the next six years.”
“It is clear to us: We need change,” she added. “Change that doesn’t come from politicians but that which emanates from the hearts and minds of Filipinos.”
She promised the pink-clad crowd that should she win the presidency,
“I will be a president not just to the pinks but to people of all stripes and colors,” she said.
Endorsements and show of support
During the rally, San Fernando Mayor Edwin Santiago — one of the first to encourage Robredo to run — also raised the hand of both Robredo and Pangilinan in a formal endorsement.
“I saw in her true compassion and love for duty,” Santiago said. “I told her, if she files her candidacy, many will stand with and bet on her.”
Farmers from Barangay San Nicolas in San Simon, Pampanga, also made a surprise show of support for Robredo — and specifically, Pangilinan, who is running on a platform to improve and modernize agriculture.
Presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo and her running mate, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, receive the endorsement of Pampanga’s local leaders and 220,000 supporters who joined the Manalakaran: Pampanga People’s Rally at Robinsons Star Mills on Saturday, April 9. 📷VPLR Media Bureau
“These are the people we want to help,” a teary Pangilinan said as the farmers raised Robredo and Pangilinan’s hands.
The Pampanga rally came a day after 76,000 Kakampinks also showed up in their Friday grand rally in Pangasinan, a known Marcos bailiwick where she once suffered her biggest loss in the 2016 vice presidential race.
This was more than twice her rival Bongbong Marcos’s crowd of 30,000 in Bayambang and seven times that of the 10,000 in Isabela, another so-called Solid North province. Robredo was endorsed there by the powerful De Venecia clan and several mayors of Pangasinan.
Some 35,000 also showed up in her Tagum rally in Davao del Norte, where she was backed by former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and his entire Partido Reporma.
Robredo has said these endorsements were inspired by what she called the “growing momentum” of the People’s Campaign, as her volunteers and supporters complement these rallies with groundwork and house-to-house campaigns.
These also come days after she saw a significant increase in her ratings across all regions and socioeconomic classes, according to the latest Pulse Asia presidential surveys.
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