President Duterte received a stinging rebuke from Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday, September 6, for his recent claim that the opposition “will not win” in the May 2022 polls.
Without confirming yet if she is running for president, Robredo said it is not for Duterte to decide if the opposition won’t win next year but it would rather rest on Filipinos’ choice.
“Hindi naman siya iyong magdedesisyon, eh. Tao iyong magdedesisyon (He is not the one who will decide. It’s up to the people to decide),” she said in an interview with ANC’s Headstart.
The vice president was asked to react on Duterte’s remark that the opposition will not win in the upcoming elections like the defeat of all senatorial candidates in the Otso Diretso slate in 2019.
READ: Roque taunts opposition senators, reminds them of Otso Diretso's 'epic failure'
In his last week’s address to the nation, Duterte expressed confidence of a victory in 2022 due to alleged lack of viable contenders from the opposition.
“Sabi ko magtakbo ako ng vice president. Bakit? Walang oposisyon eh. Hindi naman manalo ang oposisyon na 'yan. (I said I will run for vice president. Why? There is no opposition. The opposition won't win),” he said.
“Sigurado ako ang Otso Diretso, ulit na naman iyon. Wala ipinakita sa Pilipinas (I'm sure the Otso Diretso defeat will happen again. They have nothing to show to the Philippines),” the Chief Executive added.
If the opposition wishes to defeat the administration ticket, Robredo believes there should be a united opposition slate in the upcoming elections.
Robredo is being considered as the standard-bearer of the opposition, but she continues to discern whether to mount a presidential bid.
Over the past weeks, about 200 groups have launched to ask her to seek the country’s highest post in 2022. This despite her dismal numbers in surveys.
READ: Lagman: VP Robredo is united opposition's "most logical, winnable" bet in 2022
Robredo is a presidential nominee of the opposition coalition 1Sambayan, along with former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.