Leni downplays parallels, says Cory had much bigger battle

Thirty years after the 1986 snap elections that triggered the EDSA People Power Revolution, another widow in yellow beat a Marcos.

On Friday, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo defeated Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. by a slim margin for the vice presidential race. According to the official tally, Robredo finished with 14,418,817 votes while Marcos had 14,155,344, a difference of just 263,473 votes.

In a live interview on "State of the Nation" shortly after the end of the tally, GMA News anchor Jessica Soho noted the parallels between Robredo with late former president Corazon Aquino. Both of them were widows who wore yellow as their campaign color. Both of them also defeated a Marcos, as Aquino was installed into power in 1986 after the EDSA Revolution deposed the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Bongbong's father and namesake.

Robredo acknowledged those parallels

"Ako sa palagay ko, to a large extent parang... coincidence, in the sense na hindi ko naman 'to binalak, parang nangyari lang talaga," she said.

But she was also quick to downplay her stature compared to Aquino, who she said had a tougher battle to fight.

"Iba naman 'yung sitwasyon namin ni President Cory noon. Nu'ng tumakbo si President Cory... the times were more difficult than now, in the sense na nung pumasok siya, nasa diktadurya pa tayo napakahirap labanan nu'n, 'yung diktadurya," she said.

"Itong sa akin hindi na ganun kahirap. Nung kumandidato ako, naibalik na sa atin yung demokrasya natin. 'Yung paglaban ko ngayon, parang mas fair game lahat. Lahat kami binigyan ng pagkakataon na... 'yung pagkakataon na nabigay sa akin, 'yun din 'yung pagkakataon ibinigay sa ibang kandidato. Hindi ganu'n nung panahon ni President Aquino.

"Talagang 'yung binabangga niya dun napakatigas na pader, pero nagtagumpay pa rin siya. Parang 'yung sa akin ngayon, tingin ko hindi ko naman, parang iba naman 'yung lebel ng aming pakikipaglaban. Siguro nagkataon lang na parehong kaming widow, pareho namatay 'yung aming asawa habang naninilbihan sa bayan."

Aquino's husband Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. was one of the staunchest critics of the Martial Law regime under the elder Marcos. His assassination in 1983 upon his return to the Philippines triggered a series of events leading to the snap elections three years later and an outpour of support for his widow. —JST, GMA News