Amid tight VP race, Robredo appeals to supporters: Be calm

Liberal Party vice presidential candidate Rep. Leni Robredo during her press conference May 10, 2016 held in Microtel, Libis, QC. Lyn Rillon/Inquirer

Now leading the race by a hairline gap, an ebullient Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo faced the press on Tuesday, refusing to claim victory but thanking her supporters for putting the vice presidency within her grasp.

“We will not say we have won; we will not say others have cheated or that others have lost. We only ask that we be calm,” the Camarines Sur congresswoman told a press briefing.

“Let’s wait for the official results from the [Commission on Elections or] Comelec. Whatever the outcome, let’s just respect it,” she told a phalanx of local and international journalists at Microtel Hotel in Eastwood City.

The 51-year-old widow of the late Jesse Robredo is leading Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. by a little over 200,000 votes as of 3:30 p.m. Tuesday after trailing the latter by almost a million votes at the close of polling.

READ: Robredo’s lead rises to 200K in partial, unofficial count

She admitted that her daughters and their supporters were feeling depressed throughout the night as Marcos increased his lead over her. However, they were overjoyed when she slowly closed the gap, until finally surpassing Marcos by a little less than 600 votes at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.

“It seems nothing is really handed to me on a silver platter… It makes victory sweeter,” she said in what seemed a subtle dig at her rival, a son and namesake of the late dictator.

At the press conference, Robredo addressed two pieces of false news “whose aim is to drive a wedge between me and [Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte],” who appeared headed for a landslide victory in the presidential race.

READ: Comelec: 400K overseas votes ‘crucial’ in tight VP race

“First, that I would resign if Duterte won. In fact, a Facebook page was made to say this and I already complained about this. Second, that there was a ‘plan B’ to impeach Mayor Duterte. There’s no truth to this,” Robredo said.

She noted that her running mate, former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, at a press conference earlier in the day, conceded the race to the  Davao mayor.

“You have heard Secretary Mar in his own press conference. It’s clear Mayor Duterte will be President, and he asks us to support him so we can achieve our collective goals,” Robredo said.

She said it was highly unfair of Marcos to accuse her of cheating when he had no evidence to substantiate it.

As to serving under a Duterte presidency, Robredo said “he deserves 100 percent of my support and it will benefit the country if I give him the support he deserves.”

“My impression of him last night was he was for moving forward and healing the country. I have high hopes,” she said.

Robredo added, however, that she would not condone human rights violations. “I will stand my ground,” she said when asked how she would respond if Duterte committed such abuses.

She said she felt “unworthy” of comparison to the late former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino, another yellow-clad widow who ascended to power, noting that  Cory Aquino  faced much tougher challenges, including the assassination of a husband. RAM/rga