VICE President Leni Robredo and her running mate Sen. Francis Pangilinan pulled off yet another huge campaign rally on Tuesday night in General Santos City, South Cotabato, bailiwick of rival presidential bet Sen. Manny Pacquiao, where thousands listened to the opposition presidential candidate’s message under the rain.
The multi-sectoral people’s rally, which was held at the Oval Plaza in the city and attended by 5,000 to 7,000 people, is part of the Robredo-Pangilinan tandem’s campaign in the Soccsksargen region which is composed of the provinces of Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat.
The opposition presidential candidate is working doubly hard to woo voters in Mindanao where she lost in many provinces to former senator Bongbong Marcos in the 2016 vice presidential race.
Mindanao is considered a stronghold of Marcos Jr., especially since his running mate, presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, is a daughter of Mindanao.
“Sa inyo pong ginagawa at ginawa, ipinakita po natin lahat na ang ating people’s campaign ay tunay na krusada na. ‘Yung creative energy ng mga Pilipino, in full display sa ating laban (With what you’re doing and what you’ve done, you’re showing that our people’s campaign is now a genuine crusade. The Filipinos’ creative energy is in full display in our fight),” Robredo told volunteers, many soaking in the rain.
The “Kakampink” crowd initially chanted “Hindi uulan! Hindi uulan! (It’s not going to rain!
It’s not going to rain!) when it began to drizzle around 5 p.m. but they became more enthusiastic when it started pouring, shouting “Maligo sa ulan! Maligo sa ulan! (Get drenched in rain! Get drenched in rain!).”
Robredo said, “Sa kabila po nito, may nagsasabi pa din na bayad daw kayo? Alam ko naman ‘yun. Alam kong hindi lang kayo bayad; pero marami sa inyo talagang abonado pa (Despite all these, there are some who still say you are being paid? I know that. I know that you weren’t paid; but may of you spent their own money for this),” Robredo said, taking a swipe at Marcos supporters.
Robredo, a lawyer and a social activist before she joined politics in 2013, urged her supporters to “knock on doors, listen to other people’s stories and empathize with those who are suffering.”
Before going to GenSan, the tandem and some members of their “Tropang Angat” senatorial slate visited Kidapawan City where Robredo met with Mayor Joseph Evangelista and city hall employees, and Koronadal City where she met with Mayor Eliordo Ogena at the city hall.
The tandem also met with with North Cotabato Gov. Nancy Catamco at the provincial capitol with first district Rep. Joel Sacdalan, third district Rep. Jose Tejada, and Alamada Mayor Susing Sacdalan.
Yesterday, Robredo and Pangilinan visited the compound of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in Cotabato City and met with BARMM Minister Mohagher Iqbal of the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education who also chairs the Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace panel. Robredo also met with BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim and cabinet members.
They also went to the Cotabato City Hall and met with Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi and the department heads of the city government.
Deputy Speaker Mujiv Hataman of Basilan, a staunch Robredo supporter and former governor of the now defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, campaigned for Robredo, reminding Moros of the dark days of the Marcos dictatorship.
“The dictatorship was a dark chapter, especially to us Moros. Many were murdered and tortured. We were massacred. Many were forced to bear arms in the name of justice; many were forced to leave their homes. I’m against the return to power of the family that masterminded and benefited in this injustice),” he said in Filipino.
Hataman said Robredo is the country’s “best chance to stop this from happening” because she is the leader needed “to ensure a peaceful, just and humane Bangsamoro.” “I know her heart, she’ll surely fight for the aspirations of the Bangsamoro),” he said.
ENDORSEMENT
Eastern Samar Gov. Evardone expressed confidence President Duterte will eventually endorse Robredo, saying his support for Robredo’s presidential bid has the President’s blessing.
“Based on PRRD’s television interview last Saturday, I get the sense that his heart is for VP Leni,” he said. “If the President decides to endorse her, that would greatly help propel her to victory and there would be a continuity of PRRD’s pro-people reform programs.”
Evardone endorsed Robredo on Monday, two days after the President’s TV interview, in which the Chief Executive described the traits he wanted his successor to have: a lawyer who is decisive and compassionate, among others.
“She’s a lawyer, she’s decisive, she has good judgment, and she has compassion for all sectors, especially the poor,” Evardone said, adding that among the 10 presidential aspirants, only Robredo possesses the qualifications listed by the President.
Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero, one of the guest candidates in the “Tropang Angat” senatorial slate, defended Robredo from allegations she has entered into an alliance with communist insurgents, saying it is “far-fetched and incredulous.”
In a post on Twitter, Escudero said he and Robredo may have different positions on whether to retain or abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), but he believes the Vice President is not planning to enter into an alliance with the rebels.
Escudero has earlier expressed support for the NTF-ELCAC, saying the program has benefited 16 barangays in his province through the Barangay Development Program.
Robredo has repeatedly said she is supportive of the “whole-of-nation” approach by the NTF-ELCAC, adding that what she is against is for the program to be used for “red-tagging.”
The allegation that Robredo and her supporters are allied with communist was first made by Cavite Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla.
At the sideline of a mini-rally in Kidapawan last Tuesday, Robredo laughed off the attacks against her, saying she has long been “battle-scarred” as the leader of the opposition.
“It did not derail my work in the last six years, what more in this campaign where I see how energized our supporters are? This is what really gives us inspiration to keep on going),” she told reporters in Filipino.
