Some local officials from the cities of Cagayan De Oro and Iloilo have committed to support Vice President Leni Robredo in her presidential run in the May 2022 elections.
In a Twitter post, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas declared his backing of Robredo, posting a series of photos of the Vice President during her visit to the city’s molecular lab last March.
Trenas then accompanied the photos with the caption “Para maganda ang gising nyo bukas (So you’ll wake up in good form tomorrow),” with a heart emoji.
When a follower told Trenas “nice sana mag out kana din ng support sa kanya (I hope you’ll go out for her)”, the mayor responded “This is it.”
The presidential aspirant, in her reply, said: “Thank you very much for your support.”
Just last weekend, Cagayan De Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno reportedly “came out in the open” about his support for Robredo’s presidential bid after personally meeting the opposition leader.
Robredo was in Cagayan De Oro City for the roll out of her Vaccine Express initiative that sought to vaccinate 500 pedicab drivers.
READ: CDO next stop of Robredo’s Vaccine Express
Her spokesman Barry Gutierrez said that some local officials have already reached out to them to support the Vice President. However, they are biding their time when to publicly announce their endorsement.
They’ve received support from as far as northern Luzon, he said.
“Iba diyan nagpapaabot ng mensahe na handa silang sumuporta pero humintay sila ng timing kung kailan sila maglalantad ng bukas para sa kanilang suporta (Some already sent messages that they are ready to support but they are waiting for the right timing when to publicly announce their support),” he said during Robredo’s weekly radio show.
In an interview with reporters in Marawi City, Robredo said she understands why some local officials are wary of publicly declaring support for her candidacy.
“Alam ko na hindi iyon madali (I know that’s not easy),” she noted, referring to what Trenas and Moreno have done for her.
While she recognized the importance of local support to her presidential bid, Robredo said true-blue mass support would also be a key to victory.
“Iyong nararamdaman ko ngayon, kakaiba iyong eleksyon na ito kasi iyong energy talaga at saka enthusiasm ng ordinaryong mamamayan, ramdam na ramdam namin (What I’m feeling right now is that this election is different because of the energy and enthusiasm of ordinary citizens),” she added.
Since Robredo announced her candidacy for president last Oct. 7, she has received a deluge of support from volunteers, celebrities, and business owners. They painted their social media posts pink, Robredo’s fresh campaign color.
Robredo’s supporters are dubbed “Kakampink,” a play on the words “kakampi,” a Filipino word that means ally, and “pink”.
READ: ‘A people’s campaign’: VP Leni emboldened by volunteers’ caravans in Bicol, other provinces
Last October 2020, Robredo donated some P7 million worth of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) test kits, which is equivalent to 3,900 kits, and a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test machine to Iloilo City.
Trenas said the city used Robredo's donation to test Ilonggos and returning residents in its Uswag Molecular Laboratory.
“We are very grateful for the support of the Vice President for the betterment of the city especially in our fight against COVID-19,” the mayor said during Robredo’s March visit.