Despite the lack of resources and machinery, Vice President Leni Robredo thanked her supporters for the success of a “volunteer-driven” nationwide motorcade for hers and running mate Senator Kiko Pangilinan’s candidacies as president and vice president, respectively.
The Vice President was seen in a video posted on her Facebook page looking at the photos of the first-ever people’s parade held by her and Pangilinan’s supporters.
“Gusto ko pong magpasalamat sa lahat ng organizers, mula sa national hanggang sa barangay (I want to thank all the organizers, from the national to the barangay). Ito po ay talagang (This is all) completely volunteer driven,” she said on Saturday, Oct. 23.
“Hindi ko po inaasahan na ganito karami ang magpa-participate, at tinitingnan ko po, parang bawat lugar, iba 'yung gimmick na ginawa (I did not expect that this many will participate, and as I’m seeing, every place, they have a different gimmick),” Robredo added.
“Talaga pong nakakataba ng puso (It is really heartwarming),” she noted.
The presidential aspirant believes that her supporters’ passion to campaign for her and Pangilinan will bring her to victory in the 2022 polls.
READ: Robredo's 'kakampink' hold nationwide parade; #LeniKiko2022 trends on Twitter
“Ang magpapanalo po talaga sa laban na ‘to sa atin, pagmamahal at pakikiisa. At ito po’y ramdam na ramdam natin today (What will make us win this fight is love and unity. And we can truly feel this today),” she said at the end of the less than four-minute video where she was also seen giving the finger-heart sign, which is a popular trend in the Korean entertainment industry.
She mentioned in the video that she was looking at all the photos being posted on social media. The motorcades happened in at least 49 cities and provinces nationwide—from the National Capital Region (NCR) to her hometown of Bicol to Dagupan, Pangasinan, and to Surigao del Sur in Region 13.
But despite the success of the volunteer-driven nationwide motorcade, Robredo did not forget to remind her supporters that to win, they have to reach out to people who don’t share their opinions.
“Kailangan nating mahalin ang mga kausap natin. Kailangan nating ipakita sa kanilang hindi sila ang kalaban, kundi sila ang pinaglalaban dahil mahal natin sila (We need to love the people we talk with. We need to show them that they are not the enemies, that we are fighting for them because we love them),” she said in a separate video message for supporters.
“Mahaba-haba pa ang biyaheng ito pero walang duda, sa pinagsama-samang nating lakas, makakarating tayo hanggang dulo. Kaya sige lang, tuloy lang tayo (This journey is still long but I have no doubt, with our collective strength, we can reach the end. So, go ahead and carry on),” Robredo added.
READ: Leni, Kiko have high hopes; say ‘more needs to be done’
The lady official maintained that while it is easy to “debate,” it is more “radical” to love.
“Buo ang tiwala ko sa ating paninindigan, sa ating pinaglalaban, at sa ating pangarap para sa isang mas maayos at mas maginhawang bukas para sa ating bayan (I trust our stand, in our fight, and in our dreams for a better and more comfortable tomorrow for our country),” she said.