Robredo on being President: 'Decisiveness has nothing to do with gender'
Gender has nothing to do with being decisive as a leader, Vice President Leni Robredo said on Thursday, October 14, noting that she has shown that in her work in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for the past five years.

“In relation to other women presidents, I feel that the decisiveness has nothing to do with gender. For me, an efficient government is a government that gets the job done. And that is exactly what we have shown at the OVP,” she said during the Rotary Club of Manila 16th Weekly Membership Meeting where she was a guest speaker.
The vice president thumbed down on “brashness and aggression” as being a prerequisite to becoming a strong and decisive leader.
“But for me, that kind of leadership more often than not disempowers and frightens others into silence. This should not be the case. Being a strong and decisive leader means nurturing and empowering others to become the best version of themselves,” Robredo said.
“It means channeling strength without bluster, in a manner that is firm yet dignified, compassionate, empathetic and thrives quietly yet decisively amidst adversity. I think we were able to showcase that the five and half years I was vice president,” she added.
Vocal of her admiration of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, the vice president stressed that the world has seen decisiveness “from many women leaders all over the world as they take the lead in the frontlines against this pandemic.”
READ: Women leaders get things done during a crisis — Robredo
These leaders’ “collaborative, empathetic, leadership has brought them through the entire pandemic.”
Robredo, who is running for president in 2022 polls, emphasized that she would be taking on a role in “a very extraordinary time in our history” because of the pandemic if she and her running mate, Senator Francis “Kiko” Panglinan, win.
If she wins, Robredo will be the third female president after democracy icon Corazon Aquino and former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.