I am the pure Bicolano candidate for VP–Leni

ROBREDO

BACACAY, Albay—“I am the pure and true Bicolano.”

This, according to Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, the Liberal Party’s (LP) vice presidential aspirant, is her edge over four other Bicolano rivals for the position. It was her quick response when asked about her running against fellow Bicolanos.

Robredo pointed out that she was born and raised in Bicol, unlike her political rivals who started their basic education in schools outside the region.

She said she was proud to finish her elementary and secondary schooling at Universidad de Santa Isabel in Naga City, Camarines Sur province. While taking up her Economics degree at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, she said her school breaks and vacations were all spent in Naga.

It was also in Naga, while already married to the late Jesse Robredo, then the city mayor, that she completed her law degree at University of Nueva Caceres (UNC) and passed the bar examination in 1990.

Robredo is running against the more experienced Bicolano lawmakers—Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero (independent), who hails from Sorsogon; Sen. Gregorio Honasan (United Nationalist Alliance), who traces his roots from Sorsogon but was born and grew up in Baguio City where he graduated from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA);

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (Nacionalista Party), who has links with Bicol through his wife, Maria Laarni “Lani” Lopez Cayetano, a native of Tiwi, Albay province, and currently mayor of Taguig City; and Sen. Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV (Magdalo), who traces his paternal roots to Albay but was born and raised in Caloocan City.

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is the lone non-Bicolano candidate from Ilocos Norte province.

Comparing her with other Bicolano candidates for the second highest post in the land, Robredo said she could boast that she has worked at the grassroots by providing free legal assistance to the poor.

She served as a lawyer for the Public Attorney’s Office in Camarines Sur and later for Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Pang Legal, a nongovernment organization giving free legal services to members of the marginalized sector.

The candidate was here on Saturday to attend a forum initiated by former Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman (LP, first district), who is seeking to reclaim the post now held by his son, Grex Lagman.

Robredo spoke to close to 2,000 people wearing LP yellow shirts at the Lagman ancestral home in Barangay Sogod, Bacacay. She appealed for continued support from her party mates in boosting people’s awareness about her candidacy, noting that a recent poll survey indicated a marked improvement in her popularity rating, from 3 percent to 15 percent.

Since she has no logistics to spend for television and print advertisements, she said she would rely heavily on an interpersonal campaign.

Lagman has pledged his all-out support to Robredo, vowing an LP win in the 198 villages of the five towns and one city in his district.