Liberal Party Vice Presidential bet and Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo.
INQUIRER PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES
Administration vice presidential bet Leni Robredo dismissed rumors that the Liberal Party has plans of dropping her if her ratings in preference surveys will not improve.
Robredo expressed confidence that ruling party will keep her in the coalition even if she would continue to trail behind her rivals for vice president.
“Hindi naman ako naniniwala sa junking. Palagay ko, kahit hindi tumaas ang numbers ko, hindi naman mangyayari iyon. Buo ang tiwala ko sa partido at suporta nila sa akin,” Robredo said in an interview at the Tsinelas Volunteer Center in Quezon City.
(I don’t believe in junking. I think that even if my numbers do not improve, that [junking] won’t happen. I completely trust in the party and their support for me.)
Malou Tiquia, founder of a campaigns management firm, posted on Facebook that “two different but credible sources” said Robredo might be junked by LP “if she does not pick her numbers.”
The political strategist, who is known to be supporting Vice President Jejomar Binay for presidency, said the congresswoman’s rankings has improved but “she (Robredo) is plateauing…because there is not enough support to get her message out.”
But Robredo said: “Noong sadsad pa ako sa survey, sinuportahan ako, 1% pa lang, ngayon pa kaya na tumaas ang rating ko. Hindi iyon mangyayari. Araw-araw kong kasama ang partido at kita ko ang suporta nilang bigay sa akin.”
(When I was slumping in the surveys, I was supported, that was only 1%. What more now that my rating has improved. That won’t happen. I am with the party every day and I see the support they give me.)
If she would have a chance to speak to Tiquia, Robredo said she would assure her that she has her full trust for the party.
READ: Will LP drop Robredo? Lacierda belies claims
No other plan but to win
For his part, Roxas said there’s no truth to the claims of Tiquia’s sources and that he and Robredo have no other plans but to win the elections.
“Lilinawin ko, walang katotohanan ‘yang mga sinasabi na ‘yan. Wala kaming Plan B, wala kaming Plan C, D, or iba pang plano. Ang plano namin ay manalo dahil tinatayuan namin, tinutungtungan namin, matibay na pundasyon na malinis, maayos, at hindi nagnanakaw na pamamahala,” he said in an interview in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur.
(I will just clarify. There is no truth to what they are saying. We have no Plan B, Plan C, D, or any other plan. Our plan is to win because what we are standing on is the solid foundation of clean, orderly and honest government.)
READ: LP: There is no Plan B; it’s Leni Robredo or bust
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the administration coalition said Tiquia is merely trying to create a rift between Roxas and Robredo.
“Ang alam ko sinusuportahan nya si Cong. Leni pero ang sinusuportahan nyang pagka presidente ay si Binay. So baka meron syang agenda dito na mag create ng rift sa pagitan ni Sec. Mar at cong. Leni. Pero hindi magiging epektibo yan,” Gutierrez said in an interview at the LP headquarters on Friday.
(What I know is that she supports Cong. Leni but she supports Binay for the presidency. So, perhaps she has an agenda here to create a rift between Sec. Mar and Leni. But that won’t work.)
Gutierrez assured that the LP has no plan at all to drop Robredo from the coalition.
Asked if the LP has an idea who were Tiquia’s sources, the spokesperson said: “Hindi ko alam kung sinong nakausap nya, ano ang kanyang motibo pero ang malinaw hindi yan totoo.
(I don’t know who she has talked to, what her motive is, but what is clear is that [what she says] isn’t true.) CDG
READ: Leni Robredo ‘running scared’ despite surge in survey