While hardly two days old, Vice President Leni Robredo's push toward Malacañang in 2022 has been awash with pink. and conspicuously devoid of yellow.
This may come off as strange to some, considering that the Liberal Party (LP), which Robredo now chairs, has been linked to the color yellow stemming from the 1986 EDSA Revolution that arose from the assassination of one of its erstwhile leaders, former Senator Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino, Jr.
Robredo claimed that while her team didn't really plan on using an official color to symbolize her campaign, her supporters have practically made the choice for her.
"Wala kaming plano sa kulay. Hindi namin naplano yung kulay kasi alam niyo naman kung gaano ka-belated yung aming decision. Pero eto kasi yung naging kulay nung groundswell ng volunteers (We didn't plan on the color because you know how belated our decision was. But this became the color of the groundswell of volunteers )," she said, referring to the color pink.
The Vice President noted the pink theme of her supporters' posts on Facebook as well as the pink ribbons left by well-wishers at the back of the Quezon City Reception House, where she holds office.
"Parang eto talaga yung naging simbolo ng activism tsaka protest ng volunteers. So kami naman lagi naming sinabi, kami ay nakikinig (It's like this became the symbol for activism and protest of the volunteers. So as we always say, we listen).
"Kami ay nakikinig sa taumbayan na kung palagay nila ito yung kulay na magsi-symbolize ng sama-samang aspiration para mapalitan na yung klase ng pamumuno na mayroon tayo ngayon, gagawin namin yun (We hear the people if they're saying that this is the color that will symbolize the joint aspirations to end the type of leadership we have right now, so be it)," said Robredo, who filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) for president Thursday.
The 1986 revolt saw the peaceful ouster of the late strongman President Ferdinand Marcos by the yellow-clad democratic forces led by Corazon "Cory" Aquino.
Using that context, Robredo drew parallels between yellow and pink in that both became "symbols of protest" on a global scale.
"Yung pink ngayon ay siya yung lumalabas na global symbol of protest and activism. Global siya, hindi lang dito sa Pilipinas (Pink has become the global symbol of protest and activism. It's not just here in the Philippines)," she said.
But the lady official argued that there is "a bigger fight" at hand compared to the battle waged over three decades ago.
"Ang nilalabanan natin ngayon, hindi lang yung pagbabalik ng anak ng diktador. Pero ang nilalabanan natin ngayon, masamang pamamahala na siya yung nagiging sanhi ng mga problemang pinagdadaanan natin ngayon; yung bulok na klase ng politika na paulit-ulit nangyayari sa atin ngayon (We’re not only fighting against the return of the dictator's son. We're also fighting against bad leadership, which has caused the problems of today; the foul type of politics that has become a cycle)," she said.
Marcos's son and Robredo's nemesis, former Senator Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos, Jr., is also a presidential aspirant in the May 2022 elections.The younger Marcos ran for vice president in 2016, but was defeated by Robredo in a close contest.