Vice President Leni Robredo is confident in her campaign, shrugging off the latest moves by the Dutertes in Davao City and the possibility of facing Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio along with former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the 2022 polls.
“As far as our ticket is concerned, I don’t think it will affect us at all. If at all, when that happens, the lines will be clearer,” she said during an online forum with the Rotary Club of Makati on Tuesday, November 9.
She was asked in the forum about her reaction to Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte’s withdrawal of his reelection bid, paving the way for him to be a substitute to sister Sara’s mayoralty bid.
READ: Baste withdraws reelection bid for Davao City vice mayor
Shortly after the question was asked to Robredo, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio also withdrew her reelection as mayor as speculations grow on whether she will join Marcos as vice president or substitute for Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, the official candidate of the ruling party PDP-Laban for president.
Dela Rosa’s candidacy was a last-minute decision for the party after failing to convince Duterte-Carpio to seek the country’s highest post.
The Vice President cited her campaign for the presidency hinges on the efforts of her supporters.
“I was saying earlier that this campaign is turning out to be very unconventional,” she shared.
The “conventional approach,” according to Robredo, is for the candidates to organize “on the ground” and to commission ad agencies to do campaign materials.
“But, right now, it is the opposite,” she said, noting that her campaign is now becoming a people’s movement.
READ: Robredo bares growing people’s movement in talk with Tarlac supporters
Her supporters and volunteers even picked out the campaign color for her, which is pink. They are also the ones who organize motorcades, caravans, and feeding programs.
Robredo shared that many of them spend their own money on tarpaulins, billboards, posters, shirts, stickers, and many more.
If they can sustain the support of the volunteers and supporters, the vice president believes they have a good chance in 2022.
“Our supporters are the ones causing the ground to shift. Kadalasan nga kami yung nag-a-adjust (It is usually us who need to adjust),” she said.
The aspiring president refused to name who she thought is her toughest competitor in 2022.
“Right now we are very much focused on the kind of campaign that we want to do. You know that I decided at the 11th hour, so there’s much catching up to do. So, our only focus is to only get the job done,” she stressed.