By Clarist Zablan
(September 17, 2021) – The country’s vice president and top opposition leader on Friday said she is open to running for the highest office in next year’s elections if the unified opposition picks her as the standard bearer.
Leonor “Leni” Robredo planned to announce her political plans before the end of the month, hoping her talks with other potential presidential candidates Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao will bear fruit before the deadline of the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) on October 8.
“Kung ano iyong mapili ng unity ticket, tatakbo ako kung ako iyon,” Robredo told reporters during her office’s Vaccine Express activity in Pampanga.
“Kung one-on-one na Bongbong Marcos, lalaban ako kahit dehado. Kung kahit sino ang kalaban, basta ako iyong pipiliin ng anti-admin forces, laban ako. Iyong pine-prevent ko lang naman na kami-kami maghihiwa-hiwalay. Iyon iyong pine-prevent ko kaya nag-e-exert ako ng effort na pag-isahin lahat.”
Robredo said the negotiations among the candidates challenging the administration will not be easy, noting they come from different parties and have different supporters.
She is nonetheless optimistic that with their love of nation, the talks will produce a consensus.
“Siyempre kung ang isasaalang-alang iyong supporters namin, iyong supporters namin gusto kami iyong kandidato. So maraming mga gusot na inaasikaso pero hindi ako nawawalan ng pag-asa,” she said.
Robredo ranked as the sixth preferred candidate for president in pre-election opinion polls done by Pulse Asia in June.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio emerged as the top contender, followed by Domagoso and former senator and dictator’s son Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Rounding out the top five are Senator Grace Poe and Pacquiao.
Only Senator Panfilo Lacson, who ranked right behind Robredo in the survey, has announced his presidential run next year, teaming up with Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
Robredo blamed her low rankings in the survey partly to communication struggles in the past six years due to proliferation of false information and online trolls on social media.
But this will not stop her, confident the pre-election poll results won’t guarantee the top contender will win in the elections based on past experiences.
For instance, she narrowly beat Marcos in the 2016 vice presidential elections despite her ranking dead last in pre-election polls.
She said she has been building a broad unified opposition team so the challengers can stand a better chance at beating the administration. Pacquiao and Moreno have yet to reveal their political plans, but the former has stated running for president as one of his options.
“Ang dasal ko lang na sana lahat willing. Sana lahat willing na mag-usap. Lahat willing na to set aside kung ano man iyong mga kahirapan namin sa kaniya-kaniyang naming mga grupo for the country,” she said.
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