Robredo says COVID-19 work delaying her political planning for 2022

Vice President Leni Robredo (;eft) at the rollout of the Office of the Vice President Swab Cab in Marikina in May 2021. (Image from her Facebook page)

MANILA, Philippines — People used to ask Vice President Leni Robredo and her allies whether she has any political plans for the 2022 national elections. But lately, they’ve been wondering why she’s taking her time to make an announcement and when will she get around to it doing that.

Robredo gave her answers on Tuesday after launching a drive-through vaccination site in Manila with Mayor Isko Moreno.

“For me, of course, the deadline is at the very latest at the end of September,” she told reporters covering the event in Filipino.

That would give her a week before the deadline of the filing of certificates of candidacy, which runs from Oct. 1 to 8.

“So the problem is I can’t concentrate [on political planning] because we are doing COVID-19 response operations almost every day,” she said.

She was well aware of the preparations needed for the 2022 elections.

“But we also have to work on a lot of things in politics. That’s because we really want to form a unity ticket. A lot of work needs to be done.”

“But we have to put in some work on it every now and then. So hopefully — hopefully, many will agree to come together to talk about it. That’s one thing I’m working on now. But we still have up to September to do that. We’re praying that we get to that point,” she said.

Robredo has been rumored to be the first choice of the Liberal Party (LP) as the standard-bearer to challenge the administration bet in 2022. However, she has remained open to a coalition with other opposition groups, stressing the need to field a single candidate to ensure solid support from voters.

There are also talks that Robredo prefers to run as governor of Camarines Sur, her home province, especially after former Rep. Rolando Andaya announced that she had already made up her mind.

The issue was discussed even further after she supposedly transferred her residence to Magarao — a town near Naga. Supporters of Robredo’s possible gubernatorial bid said that this was a political move because voters from Naga — an independent component city — could not run for governor of Camarines Sur.

Robredo is one of the initial nominees of the 1Sambayan, a coalition that seeks to challenge whoever gets anointed by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2022.

The coalition convenors are headed by former government officials — former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, former Education Secretary Armin Luistro, and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario.

The other 1Sambayan nominees are Sen. Grace Poe, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, Cibac party-list Rep. Eddie Villanueva, former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.

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