Robredo upbeat after debate

Liberal Party Vice Presidential bet and Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

LIBERAL Party vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo is banking on her strong performance in last Sunday’s televised debate to propel her to the top of voter surveys.

Robredo, who in the latest Pulse Asia survey ranked second in a statistical tie with Sen. Francis Escudero, noted that the poll was taken before the debate that was aired on nationwide TV by ABS-CBN.

Her campaign harped on three political analysts’ declaration that she had topped the April 17 debate, which only four vice presidential candidates—Robredo, Senators Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano  and Antonio Trillanes—attended.  Senators Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Gregorio Honasan were no-shows.

In a statement, Robredo’s camp quoted one of the analysts as saying her statements allowed her to “come across as her own candidate” and not just someone who was anointed by the President.

The political pundit said Robredo could get the support of the undecided voters since she is not associated with the problems of urban traffic, congestion and other issues.

Another analyst said, “Leni Robredo has an advantage because she comes from grassroots,” adding that she was able to successfully frame her advocacies and issues to fit grassroots perspectives.

The third pundit opined that Robredo “continued with her very authentic and relatable approach,” according to the Robredo camp.

In a separate statement, Robredo said she took comfort in another poll, the Social Weather Stations “Bilang Pilipino” mobile survey which put her on top of vice presidential polls for the first time. That survey was taken after the debate.

“For me, each survey is important because we can see not only our trajectory but also the places where we are weak,” she said.

Robredo’s schedule on Tuesday was packed, as she visited poor communities in the cities of Mandaluyong, Manila and Makati. She acknowledged her numbers were weakest in Metro Manila.

She said her campaign was using survey data to plot their next moves, decide which areas to devote attention to, and which segments of society to concentrate on.