Vice President Leni Robredo remains unfazed over the reported support of 11 mayors from her home province of Camarines Sur for former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Robredo, who is a Bicolano, issued the statement after the Marcos camp claimed the local chief executives expressed support for his presidential bid.
Camarines Sur is a known bailwick of Robredo who is also vying for presidency in the May elections. She hails from Naga City.
“Noong (In) 2016, when I was running for VP, halos walang malaking pulitiko dito sa (no big politicians here in) Bicol region na nag-throw ng (who threw their) support for me and I was expecting that. There were five of us Bicolanos us out of six candidates pero (but) I still got almost 70 percent of the Bicolano votes,” she said in an interview with ANC’S Rundown.
READ: Bongbong's camp says 11 CamSur mayors commit support to his presidency
For the vice presidential race, Robredo had to face former senator and now Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero, former Senators Gringo Honasan and Antonio Trillanes IV, as well as Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano.
Marcos was the only candidate who is not from the Bicol region.
Despite having five Bicolano candidates, Robredo topped the polls followed by Escudero, Marcos, Cayetano, Honasan, and Trillanes got a small portion of the votes.
“Ngayong laban na ‘to, ako lang iyong Bicolano. Pati iyong suporta ng mga Bicolano (Now for this fight, I’m the only Bicolano. And the support of Bicolanos) now is unlike 2016,” she said.
“Noong (In) 2016, mas mahiyain pa ‘yung tao (the people are more shy) to go out pero now iyong galaw talaga nanggaling sa ordinaryong mamamayan (but now the actions are taken by ordinary citizens) and they have been doing so much,” Robredo said.
READ: Robredo hopeful for a solid Bicol vote in 2022, but says she has to work for it
Meanwhile, Milaor Mayor Anthony Reyes, one of whom was said to support Marcos, denied the reports.
Asked by volunteer group Dapat Si Leni on Facebook’s private messenger, Reyes said the report was “fake news.”
A few minutes after, he posted a photo with Robredo as the backdrop and the words “Leni is my president.”
He captioned it with “BBM, Babaeng Bikolana Magana 2022.”