Vice President Leni Robredo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / JILSON SECKLER TIU
NAGA CITY—From the Philippines to China, there was celebration in the air. Bursting with pride for a fellow Bicolano, about 5,000 supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo celebrated her inauguration in her home city on Saturday night.
The event started with a 10-minute fireworks display at Plaza Rizal.
In her address, Robredo urged the crowd to unite and support the Duterte administration.
“The time of fighting has ended. Now is the time to support the present administration and leave behind the things that divided us,” she said.
On the same day, a celebration was held in China by residents of Jinjiang in Fujian province, Robredo’s office said on Sunday.
The residents marched in honor of the Vice President, a “tradition in China reserved for someone who achieves something distinguishable,” the OVP said.
The ancestors of the Vice President’s late husband, Jesse Robredo, hailed from Jinjiang.
The banners in China read: “Jinjiang, Fujian province congratulates our kababayan, Atty. Leni Lim, Vice President of the Philippines!”
Lim is the Chinese last name of Jesse Robredo.
Leni Robredo won under the Liberal Party ticket by a margin of some 260,000 votes against her closest rival, Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The senator has filed an election protest to contest Robredo’s win, citing alleged cheating and other irregularities during the May 9 elections.
Robredo said her election as vice president was an opportunity that must not be wasted and must be used to bring needed attention to the Bicol region.
The victory celebration and thanksgiving party in her city featured performances from university marching bands, cheering squads and singing groups.
The city government closed two blocks of the central business district from dusk to late evening on Saturday. While no food or drink was offered to the crowd, the atmosphere remained festive.
Local artists and a chorale sang original compositions by Tonton Hernandez, including “Tunay na Pagbabago,” which the composer wrote in 2007 for Jesse, the longest-serving mayor of this city.
In the 2010 presidential election, “Tunay na Pagbabago” was used during the campaign of then Sen. Benigno S. Aquino III, through Jesse Robredo, who inspired the song.
Leni Robredo arrived at 7:30 p.m. and greeted the crowd at Plaza Quezon, where the outline of her face was projected on an LED screen.
Her daughters Aika, Tricia and Jillian joined her on stage as the song was being sung by the 100 Voices Choral Group.
Robredo also attended the “One Percent to Vice President Dinner” hosted by couple Carlo and Nica Buenaflor to cap the victory celebration. With a report from Nikko Dizon