Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday, October 10, said that they are currently setting up the volunteer program for her 2022 presidential bid and asked her supporters for understanding as they need more time to get organized.
Since she decided at the “11th hour,” her team is just starting to set up and organize the campaign which so far already received around 11,000 sign-ups for volunteers.
Robredo, however, lamented that they’ve just gotten back to around 5,000 of those because they still do not have the manpower.
“Kasi ngayon nagse-set-up pa lang tayo kasi ang late ko ngang nagdesisyon...kaya kulang pa tayo ngayon sa tao, kulang pa sa pag-organize ng volunteer. Bigyan lang po kami ng one or two weeks para ayusin lahat (We’re only just setting up now because I decided late...we don’t have the manpower yet that will organize the volunteers. Give us one or two weeks to fix everything),” she said during her weekly radio show.
The vice president asked for understanding from those who signed up using the link provided by Team Leni Robredo because they couldn’t get back to them immediately.
“So, yung challenge sa amin ngayon kung papaano ayain lahat, kung papaano igrupo ‘yung lahat ng may initiatives na ganito. Ayaw naming magdikta (The challenge for us is how to organize everything, how we’re going to group all initiatives. We don’t want to dictate),” Robredo said.
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They’re not planning to put them under the official campaign because they want to give the volunteers free rein as long as there’s coordination with the team.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Oct. 9, Robredo thanked her supporters and those who offered to volunteer.
“Hello everyone. Since the announcement last Thursday, we have been deluged by messages of support, questions on how to volunteer and donate, offers for help, etc. We are truly overwhelmed and very, very grateful. Apologies if we are not able to get back to you at once. Since I decided at the 11th hour, we are just trying to set up and organize things. It has been really crazy!!,” she said.
But this is a “good problem” because “people are just coming out in droves, trying to pitch in whatever they can.”
The opposition leader referred to it as a “people’s campaign,” adding that the fight is of the people and not just hers.
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Since people have been trying to ask where to send donations, Robredo said in the same Facebook post that they have to set it up first and follow the rules by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
She posted links to volunteer groups and Google Drive folders of collaterals such as stickers, notebooks, pads, and tote bags.
There’s also a Leni For You e-commerce site where these collaterals can be ordered. It is part of the fundraising program of a group of students, teachers, and alumni for Robredo.