Vice President Leni Robredo will make the announcement on her decision to join the presidential race, her camp said on Sunday, October 3, putting out speculations that she has already accepted the nomination of opposition coalition 1Sambayan and that she will file her Certificate of Candidacy (COC) early this week.
Lawyer Barry Gutierrez, Robredo’s spokesman, was reacting to reports that 1Sambayan convenor Bro. Armin Luistro claimed the vice president will file her COC at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila where the Commission on Elections (Comelec) held the filing of the COC this coming Tuesday, Oct. 5.
Supposedly, the date is a significant one to Robredo because this was the same date she chose when she decided to run for vice president in 2016.
“Para sa lahat ng ating mga tagapakinig, at sa lahat ng ating mga supporter na nagtatanong, si VP Leni mismo ang magsasabi kung ano iyong kanyang desisyon (To all of our listeners, and to all our supporters who are asking, VP Leni herself will announce what will be her decision),” Gutierrez said during the vice president’s weekly radio show over dzXL.
“Hindi nating kailangan manghula, hindi natin kailangan gumawa ng kung anu-anong kuro-kuro. Ilang araw na lang, siya ang magsasabi mismo kung ano ang kanyang pasya. Tiwala lang (We don’t need to speculate, we don’t need to come up with opinions. In a few more days, she herself will announce her decision. Let’s trust that),” he added.
Gutierrez said it’s not like Robredo will flip-flop once she makes up her mind to run as president.
“Hindi parang hindi ako tatakbo tapos bigla magbabago isip o kaya tatakbo ako tapos aatras. Walang ganun. Klaro sa kanya kapag siya ay magdesisyon kung tatakbo ako sa pagkapangulo, dirediretso iyon (It’s not like I will run then she will change her mind, or I will run then withdraws. It’s not like that. It is clear to her that when she decides to run for president, she will go through with it),” he explained.
This echoed the same sentiments of Robredo who opposed the unification proposal of Senator Panfilo Lacson for all pro-democracy forces to file their COCs and then support only one candidate once survey results showed who among them is the strongest.
Gutierrez said it is clear to the vice president, who did not attend her Sunday radio show, that she has to make a decision before Friday, Oct. 8, the last day of the filing of the COC.
1Sambayan endorsed Robredo for president on Thursday, Sept. 30. Although the vice president thanked the group and her supporters in a statement following the formal endorsement, she also said that she is still in the process of finalizing her decision about next year’s polls.
READ: Robredo is 1Sambayan candidate for president in 2022 polls
Meanwhile, Gutierrez also clarified that Robredo transferred her voter’s registration records from Naga City to Magarao in Camarines Sur has nothing to do with her political plans.
There were rumors that the vice president plans to seek the gubernatorial post in her hometown province, but this is not possible if she is a voter of Naga City, an independent component city.
Her spokesman said she transferred the registration so it would be consistent with her residence.
“Klarong-klaro yung sinasabi ni VP Leni ang kanyang priority sa kasalukuyan, ang desisyon na kailangan niya gawin ay ang pagtakbo sa national, pagtakbo bilang pangulo ng ating bansa (It is very clear what VP Leni said that her priority in the meantime is the decision she has to make regarding to her running in the national, in her possible run as president of our country),” Gutierrez added.