Leni to Quezon folk: We are here with or without elections

Barnstorming Quezon in the final stretch of the campaign, Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday said the people will bear witness to her programs for the province which were initiated even before the elections.

In a well-attended rally in Lucena City, Robredo enumerated the projects she launched in the province through the Angat Buhay program, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Noong ni-launch po natin ang Angat Buhay noong 2016, pumili po tayo ng mga lugar dito sa Pilipinas…ang isa po doon ay nandito sa Quezon, ang Mulanay. Kaya po mula 2016 pabalik-balik po kami sa Mulanay, Quezon at iba’t ibang mga programa ‘yung sinimulan natin doon,” she said.

(When we launched Angat Buhay in 2016, we chose places here in the Philippines…one of them is here in Quezon, Mulanay. So, from 2016 we were constantly in Mulanay and we started various programs there.)

“Pero sa loob ng six years na tayo po ay Vice President, hindi lang po Mulanay, ‘yung ating tinulungan pero iba’t ibang munisipyo pa. Sa bawat sakuna na nangyayari nandito po kami,” she added.

(But for six years as the Vice President, we helped numerous municipalities here, not only Mulanay. For every disaster that happens, we are here.)

Robredo said the program helped provide free PPE sets, medical supplies, vaccination drive, relief operations, community learning hubs, and livelihood platforms for the unemployed.

“Tuwing eleksyon maraming kandidato ang pumupunta dito. Ang sasabihin ‘Mahal ko ang Quezon, kailangan ko ng boto ninyo’. Pero kapag sinasabi na ‘Mahal ko ang Quezon. Ang dapat na tinatanong ng mga taga Quezon, ‘Noong wala pa bang eleksyon naalala ninyo pa ba kaming bisitahin?’” she said.

(Every election many candidates would come here. They would say ‘I love Quezon, I need your vote’. But when someone said, ‘I love Quezon.’ What the people of Quezon should be asking is, ‘When there was no election, did you remember to visit us?’)

“Ang pinaka-resibo na talagang mahal nila ang Quezon ay hindi ito papabayaan. May kampanya o wala, hindi tayo iniiwan. May kampanya o wala tuloy-tuloy ang trabaho. Hindi ‘yung nagpapakita sa atin tuwing may eleksyon lang,” she added.

(The fact that they really love Quezon is that they will not neglect the province. With or without a campaign, we are not left behind. Whether there is a campaign or not, the work must continue. Not someone who shows up only during the election period.)

‘Laylayan’ will be center of the government

If elected as president, Robredo stressed that she would prioritize the Filipinos belonging to the ‘laylayan’ or the marginalized sectors of the society.

Robredo also promised to continue reaching out to the marginalized, saying she would uplift them by putting them at the center of her administration.

“Sabay-sabay natin aalagaan yung mga hindi pareho sa atin ang katayuan sa buhay. Ang mga nahihirapan ay kailangan akayin. Ang mga naghihirap ay kailangan tulungan,” she said.

(We would take care of those who do not have the same status in life as ours. Those who are in need must be supported. Those who are suffering, we would help them.)

“Pero dapat ‘yung mga nakakaluwag katulong ng pamahalaan sa pagasikaso sa ating mga kababayan,” she furthered.

(But those who have enough means should help the government to give assistance to our countrymen.)

Filipinos must unite

Meanwhile, Robredo urged Filipinos to unite and draw strength from each other to collectively do efforts for the betterment of the country.

“Dapat ang pamahalaan ay nagkakaisa, hindi pagkakaisa ng mga pulitiko lamang. Pero pagkakaisa ng ordinaryong Pilipino na gustong ayusin ang kanyang pamahalaan,” she pointed out.

(The government must be united, not just politicians. But it is the unity of ordinary Filipinos who want to fix their government.)

“Ang eleksyong ito ay hindi lamang laban naming mga kandidato. Pero ang eleksyon na ito iba-iba man ang ating paniniwala, kailangan magkaisa tayo para sa ating bansa,” she added.

(This election is not just against us candidates. But in this election, even if we have different beliefs, we must unite for our country.)

Clean track record

Moreover, Robredo reiterated that she and running mate Senator Kiko Pangilinan have a clean track record in their service as government officials.

“Tingnan niyo po ang aming track record ni Senator Kiko. Kapag kami po nagsabi sa inyo na ayaw po namin ng korapsyon, ang resibo po namin ang aming track record,” she emphasized.

(Take a look at our track record of Senator Kiko. When we tell you that we do not want corruption, our receipt is our track record.)

“Kami po sa Office of the Vice President (OVP) ang resibo naming ay sunod-sunod na taon nakukuha naming ang pinakamataas na COA (Commission on Audit) rating…Hindi kami ang nagsasabi na malinis kami, COA na mismo,” she said.

(We in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) our receipts are consecutive years and we get the highest COA (Commission on Audit) rating…We are not the ones who say we are clean, it was the COA itself.)

Aside from their proposed policies, Robredo also called on voters to check other candidates’ track record on issues concerning corruption.

“Kung mapapangalagaan ang pera ng taumbayan gaya po ng ginagawa namin sa OVP, kahit hindi ganoon kalakihan ‘yung pondo, marami ‘yung natutulungan,” the Vice President said.

(If the people's money is protected as we do in OVP, even if the funds are not that big, many people can be helped.)

She stressed, “Pero kung kinukurakot kahit napakalaki ng pondo, parating kulang.”

(But if the money is being corrupted, we will always be short of funds.)—LDF, GMA News