Robredo asks voters to be wary of candidates who only show up, send help during election season

ECHAGUE, Isabela — Vice President Leni Robredo said on Saturday that voters should be wary of candidates who only appear to extend help during the election season. 

At her campaign stops in Tuguegarao City and Alcala in Cagayan and in Echague, Isabela, Robredo said that her office did its job of providing assistance to these provinces when they were hit by typhoons, even though she lost big in these areas to then Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. in the 2016 vice presidential race.

"Alam naman natin noong 2016, sobra po iyong talo ko rito...," the presidential candidate said, prompting her supporters to interrupt her and shout, "Babawi kami, babawi kami."

Robredo thanked them for the gesture and said her office was quick to respond to calamities in the region.

"Kaya ko po sinasabi iyon kasi gusto ko po ipakita sa inyo na kahit sobra iyong talo ko rito, tuwing may sakuna, isa po ako sa pinakaunang andito. Mula 2016, bagyo ng 2018, 2020, andito po ako ng personal," she said.

"Hindi lang po ako nagpakita, nag-iwan po kami ng team, ang Office of the Vice President, at halos isang buwan silang narito sa Norte para magsagawa ng relief operations," she pointed out, referring to devastating floods that hit Cagayan and Isabela in 2020 due to Typhoon Ulysses.

"Kaya ko po sinasabi sa inyo kasi napakadali lang magsabi na mahal ko kayo, pero paano ba ito ipinakita noong walang eleksyon? Dahil madalas, kung wala namang eleksyon, hindi naman nagpapakita. Kaya hanapin po natin ang resibo. Ano ang resibo? Track record," she said before a cheering crowd that reached 10,000 according to organizers.

Mayor Tin Antonio of Alcala town and Tuguegarao resident Rosemar Fabian Gumara echoed Robredo's remarks about herself being there in times of need.

"Maraming sinasabing masama sa kanya rito, pero pumupunta pa rin siya rito. Typhoon Ulysses, 24 out of 25 barangays lumubog. In the middle of the night, nagpadala siya ng tulong. Yan ba ang estranghero? Lahat ng kilos, lahat ng gawa ni VP Leni, ay bukal sa loob," Antonio, the lone mayor in Cagayan province backing Robredo's presidential bid, said in her speech ahead of Robredo's arrival in Alcala, which was the vice president's second campaign stop of the day.

"Si VP [Leni] nagdonate ng truckload of goods to send to Baggao which is the remotest part of Cagayan na sobrang mahihirap ang mga tao, many of them are farmers na nabaha, nawalan ng mga bahay [nung Typhoon Ulysses]. Si VP Leni ang unang sumaklolo at dumating sa amin at nag disseminate ng calls for help namin sa Facebook kaya marami ring pumasok na tulong sa Cagayan," Gumara added.

Antonio's father, former Cagayan governor Alvaro Antonio, also endorsed Robredo, claiming that Marcos Jr., who is also running for president, once requested Cagayan's support in one election but was never bothered to help Cagayan when the province was hit by typhoons while the elder Antonio was still governor.

"Pinaulanan natin ng napakaraming boto. Pinabaunan. [Pero] noong mga 2011 o 2012, may malakas na bagyo na nanalanta dito sa Cagayan. At bilang gobernador, lumapit ako sa tinulungan natin na senador na inaasahan ko noon na tumulong sa probinsya ng Cagayan sa paghihirap na 'yon. Alam nyo kung ano ang nangyari?  Wala akong minamasama, nagsasabi lang ako ng totoo. Ni hindi ako hinarap!" the former governor said in Ilokano.

"Pinabayaan niya lang. Dalawang beses akong humingi ng tulong para sa probinsya ng Cagayan bilang gobernador. Ni singkong duling, wala siyang ibinigay. Ikumpara sana natin. Noong naghihirap ang probinsya ng Cagayan dahil sa malaking baha noong 2020, sino ang sumaklolo? Noong nangangailangan ng tulong ang Alcala at Cagayan noong panahon ko bilang gobernador, walang itinulong dito sa probinsya ang katunggali ni Leni Robredo," he added.

This prompted the crowd to chant "Never Again! Never Again!" — VBL, GMA News