Liberal Party vice presidential candidate Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo is with presidential sister Maria Elena “Ballsy” Aquino-Cruz at Tsinelas Volunteer Center in Quezon City on Friday. PHOTO FROM STAFF OF ROBREDO
Presidential sister Maria Elena “Ballsy” Aquino-Cruz is confident that administration vice presidential candidate Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo can beat rival Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. like her mother defeated his dictator father.
“I’m very confident. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero siguro parang noong 1986 na hindi natin malalaman kung paano mananalo si Cory kung tangan ni Marcos ang lahat,” Cruz said in an interview on Friday at Tsinelas Volunteer Center where she went with Robredo.
The daughter of the late former President Cory Aquino recalled the time then Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin assured their mother that she would win the snap elections against the late strongman.
“I remember Cardinal Sin told my mom, ‘Cory, you will win.’ Then my mom said, ‘How would I win?’ [He] said, “Just have faith and there will be a miracle,” said Cruz.
Cruz said both her mother and Robredo were anxious about their candidacy but decided to continue for the sake of the Filipino people.
“Hindi ko alam pero wala akong kaba na mananalo si Leni kasi unang-una, talagang kahanga-hanga naman siya. Hindi man niya ginusto pero noong naisip niya na kinakailangan siyang tumakbo, sumabak siya. Nakita ko kung gaano siya kasipag at ibinibigay niya ang lahat,” she said.
“Para sa akin, para kay Leni, ‘kung hindi ako manalo basta I did my best. Kung manalo ako may dapat pa ako gawin,’” she added.
While President Benigno Aquino III’s sisters Cruz, Pinky Aquino-Abellada, Viel Aquino-Dee, and actress-television host Kris Aquino have openly expressed their support for Robredo, they have remained mum on their preferred presidential candidate.
The presidential sisters earlier declared their support for the presidential bid of Vice President Jejomar Binay, their longtime family friend, instead of Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, until the former called their brother’s government “palpak at manhid (bumbling and insensitive).”
After Binay’s pronouncement, Cruz and Abellada made clear that they would not support Binay anymore.
In an interview in Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte on Friday, meanwhile, Robredo thanked the Aquino sisters for their endorsement.
“Kilala po natin sila, hindi sila nag-e-endorso ng kahit sino na hindi nila pinapaniwalaan. Actually, hindi lang po si Ballsy, pati po iyong mga kapatid niya, si Viel, Pinky pati si Kris. Lahat na din po, nagpahayag ng endorsement. Napakalaking bagay kasi alam po natin na sila talaga ang pinaka-ginagalang natin sa ating lipunan,” the Liberal Party (LP) bet said. RC