Vice President Leni Robredo said that she is nearing the moment when she will make a decision on whether or not to run for president in the May 2022 national elections.
Robredo made the statement a month before the filing of the certificates of candidacy (COCs) in October for those who want to try their luck in the polls.
In an online interview Friday, Sept. 3, the Vice President said she has yet to make a decision but considering the time she has left, she admitted that she will soon have to make up her mind.
"Wala pang decision (I don't have a decision yet). But because it's September already, we're getting near the decision time," she said.
"Hopefully very soon. Hopefully within September," she added, when pressed for a time frame.
According to Robredo, her decision-making process took a back seat because of the ongoing surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.
"Na-push yung ibang meetings, na-push yung ibang discussions (Some of our meetings and discussions were pushed back). Before the surge, we have been talking to many groups already," she said.
"Sana matapos na itong surge (I hope the surge will be over) before Oct. 8 so we can continue with these discussions," she added.
The Vice President confessed that she has always felt guilty when talking about politics during the pandemic, but at the same time said the topic was unavoidable.
"I always feel guilty talking about 2022 while we are in the middle of the pandemic. But I guess it can't be helped because it's just around the corner," she said.
Meanwhile, Robredo reiterated that she is thankful for all the support she has been getting, especially with the upward trajectory in the number of groups urging her to run for president.
"I'm very thankful for the trust and support. I've said this many times already that I don't take this trust lightly. I continue to give serious thought to this," she said.
However, the Vice President insisted that there was a need for different groups to have a united front to have a better shot at victory in 2022.
"Lagi ko rin itong sinasabi na (I've always said that) so much is at stake this 2022. Because of this, we need to talk beyond our usual circles. To go into 2022 with a united front," she said.