Presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo is thankful for the endorsement of Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), led by former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña, despite the fact that it didn’t endorse her running mate, Senator Kiko Pangilinan.
“Ako, syempre kahit sino may laya na pumili ng gusto niyang kandidato (Me, of course, anyone is free to choose the candidate they like). Of course, if you ask me, I would have preferred na (that) BOPK endorses Kiko. Pero (But) having said that ako (me), I’m very thankful for the endorsement of BOPK,” she said during a media briefing in Cebu City.
The Vice President had a meeting there with Osmeña and representatives of the IT-BPO industry to discuss their proposal to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to open special poll precinct for BPO workers so they can vote on election day.
Robredo said she was sure that BOPK’s endorsement of her candidacy and that of Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto for vice president was for the benefit of Cebu City.
Sotto, who is the grandson of former Senator Vicente Sotto of Cebu, is the running mate of presidential aspirant Senator Panfilo Lacson.
She stressed that her relationship with Osmeña “is more personal than political” because he was a “good friend” of her husband, the late former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo.
“His endorsement is something that I really value,” she said.
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The former Cebu City mayor also endorsed Robredo in 2016, together with her running mate, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas. Osmeña also helped her when she run as Camarines Sur representative in 2013.
BOPK’s non-endorsement of Pangilinan, who Osmeña said was a “good man,” is not an issue.
“We regard each other – Senator Kiko and I – we regard each other as partners. Meron namang mag-eendorse sa kanya na ako ‘yung hindi dalang pangulo (Some will endorse him and not me as president). So, sa amin basta (for us) we work as one. Kino-compensate kung saan may nawawala (we compensate where there’s lacking),” she said.
This isn’t the first time Robredo got mixed endorsements because incumbent Cebu Vice Governor Hilario Davide III, who is a member of the once-ruling Liberal Party (LP), will endorse her while his running mate, former Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, who is running for governor against incumbent Governor Gwen Garcia, is expected to endorse another candidate.
Durano earlier planned on endorsing Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, his cousin, if she run as president. It is not clear yet who Durano, who served under former President Gloria Arroyo, will endorse as president.
Duterte-Carpio is running as vice president with former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as her president. This tandem has Arroyo’s support.
Robredo said it’s understandable that Davide will run with Durano, who is from the Partido Pilipino sa Pagbabago (PPP), because she decided “very, very late” and their slate was already completed by the time she announced her presidential bid.
Saying that she’s thankful that Davide remains an “ally” and is proud of him as a leader, Robredo stressed that her camp will “remain open to alliances.”
“Hindi naman po kami nagsasara ng pinto kahit kanino (We are not closing doors on anyone),” she added.