Iloilo, Cebu Robredo supporters push for 2022 presidential run

Supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo in Iloilo heeded her call to engage in humanitarian aid initiatives even as they still maintained that they are supportive of her possible 2022 Presidential bid.

Aurelio Servando, lead organizer and volunteer of the Vice President's supporters in Iloilo, issued the statement for the group after conducting a feeding program for the elderly, children, and vendors, with the help of the military, during Valentine’s day.

“Tuloy-tuloy lang ang pagtulong namin dito sa probinsya. Kapag nagpasya si Vice President Robredo na tumakbong pangulo, buo ang aming suporta sa kanya,” Servando said.

Included in the list of sites they visited were Asilo de Molo which houses elderly and impoverished children, and Barangay Fundidor, Molo, Iloilo where hundreds of indigents reside.

Along the way, they also distributed food packs to small vendors and other people living in the streets.

Servando also said that he and fellow volunteers have long been supportive and involved with the Office of the Vice President’s Angat Buhay program—the anti-poverty initiative which combines the resources of Robredo’s office and the private sector to aid communities in need.

“This is our small way of sharing love to our countrymen who have been abandoned or neglected by their families,” Servando pointed out.

Cebu Citizens Assembly

A week ago, the multi-sectoral group Cebu Citizens Assembly (CCA) also called on Robredo to run for president in 2022.

In a separate statement, CCA described itself as a 12-strong multi-sectoral group of concerned Cebuanos “that take sides with people empowerment and social justice, maximizing the democratic space to bring about changes for the voiceless and the marginalized.”

CCA said that they are composed of urban poor, vendors, workers, drivers, farmers, fisherfolks, women, LGBTQs, youth, civil society organizations, and other sectors, including the Liberal Party chapter in Cebu province.

“We understand that as a public servant, she could not and should not yet declare her interest to run for higher office. We however, would like to let her know that there is a need, a hunger if you may, for her brand of leadership,” CCA said in a statement.

CCA argued that the country suffered enough from incompetence and bad governance hounded by corruption issues, extra-judicial killings, the militarization of government structures, anti-women pronouncements, anti-Filipino and pro-China policies.

“The country needs to heal. Vice President Robredo has shown steadfast leadership despite her 'spare tire' position. She remained true to her promise of inclusive programs for the marginalized,” CCA said.

“Cebu is ready for Leni. We want her to know,” they added.

Earlier, Robredo's supporters from Quezon province also egged her to run for President come May 2022.

Iloilo province, including Iloilo city, has 1.8 million registered voters as of May 2019 based on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) records. On the other hand, Cebu province, including the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu, had at least three million registered voters as of May 2019 according to poll body's data.

Quezon, for its part, has 1.2 million registered voters as of May 2019 based on Comelec data.

While then administration candidate Robredo overwhelmingly won the 2016 Vice Presidential race in Cebu and Iloilo, the highest-ranked elected official from the opposition ranks is now trailing her probable 2022 rivals based on the January poll on Pulse Asia which ranked her sixth with an 8% rating.

The filing of candidacies for the 2022 polls was scheduled for October 1 to 8 this year. — DVM, GMA News