VP Leni: Otso Diretso defeat not Kit, Kiko's fault

The defeat of Otso Diretso senatorial candidates in the May 2019 elections was not the fault of Senator Francis Pangilinan and Quezon City Representative Christopher "Kit" Belmonte, who quit as the Liberal Party's (LP) president and secretary general, respectively.

This was according to the party's chairman Vice President Leni Robredo who spoke to reporters at the sidelines of the Pag-asa Film Festival 2019 in Quezon City on Saturday.

Robredo, who did not immediately accept the resignations, said the move was Pangilinan and Belmonte's "very noble way of accepting responsibility" for the loss of all eight candidates in the opposition slate.

"Hindi nila kasalanan. Hindi nila kasalanan. Puwedeng maraming pagkukulang, pero hindi siya kasalanan noong dalawa," the vice president said.

"Ano iyon, very noble way of accepting responsibility, pero sinabi ko din sa kanila na kung ako lang magdedesisyon, hindi ko siya tatanggapin," she added.

"Kasi ito iyong panahon na kailangan mas magkaisa kami, at marami pang laban na haharapin."

For the vice president, the 2019 senatorial race was not a "total loss" for Otso Diretso.

"Hindi ko siya nire-regard na total loss, kasi if at all, we were able to unite many forces na dati hindi united. So it is worth....fighting for, still, hindi lang for the elections, pero for many other issues that will face us," Robredo said.

On the prospect of a new LP president, Robredo said they have yet to discuss Pangilinan's post at a national executive council meeting before the day of the State of the Nation Address (SONA).

"Ang scheduled na NECO namin is before the SONA, so pag-uusapan siya before the SONA. Pero nagkaroon kami ng informal gathering last week. Parang iyong sentiment ng halos lahat na members, huwag payagang mag-resign," Robredo said.

"Iyong sa kaniya kasi, hindi naman niya sinasabi na ayaw niya ng posisyon. Ang sinasabi niya lang, ina-accept niya iyong responsibility doon sa pagkatalo ng Otso Diretso," she added. —Margaret Claire Layug/LDF, GMA News