Leni woos voters’ hearts with love story with Jesse

Liberal Party (LP) vice presidential bet Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo is tearing off a different page from the campaign playbook to win the hearts of potential voters.

Robredo “introduced” herself to barangay (village) officials of Pasay City on Tuesday by recounting her love story with her husband, the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, saying her desire to continue the legacy of her husband’s brand of good governance was the reason why she took on the challenge of becoming the administration’s vice presidential candidate.

The lawmaker from Camarines Sur shared that within a year after meeting Jesse, they were already married.

“Pero sino po si Leni Robredo? Alam niyo po, maagang-maaga po akong nag-asawa. Kagagraduate ko pa lang sa UP ng Economics, umuwi po ako sa amin para magtrabaho. Yung pinakauna ko pong boss, ay yung aking asawa. Doon po kami nagkakilala,” Robredo said.

“Hindi ko po alam kung ako yung unang pumikot sa kanya o gandang-ganda lang siya sa akin kaya hindi pa isang taon mula nung umpisa akong nagtrabaho sa kanya ay mag-asawa na po kami,” she said, eliciting cheers from the thousands-strong crowd at Cuneta Astrodome.

She then proceeded to talk about how the death of her husband in 2012 in a plane crash changed the course of their lives.

“Marami po sainyo, kilala si Leni Robredo bilang biyuda ni Jesse Robredo. Isang bagay na malaking malaking karangalan para sa akin. Yung aking asawa, dapat naman pong ipagyabang—napakasimple, pero napakatino at napakahusay na lingkod-bayan. Kaya napakalaking regalo naman po sa akin ng Poong Maykapal na siya ang aking kabiyak.

“Noong namatay po ang asawa ko, nahalughog po ang buhay naming mag-iina. Siya ang sentro ng aming buhay. Pero noong nawala siya, parang napilay kami. Hindi lamang sa isang paa kung hindi sa dalawa,” Robredo said.

She said her husband’s death thrusted her into the political limelight and as a neophyte member of the House of Representatives, she had championed bills that would benefit the grassroots.

Two Robredo-authored bills garnered cheers from the audience: first, the barangay reform bill which seeks to provide more benefits for barangay officials; and second, the proposed bill pushing for the term extension of barangay officials to five years.

According to a poll conducted by Social Weather Stations last December, Robredo has tied with Sen. Bongbong Marcos Jr. in second place at 19 percent.

Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, however, remains the man to beat for the vice presidency at 30 percent. RC