Vice President Leni Robredo doesn’t see the need to defend herself in case President Duterte goes on another tirade against her as he has done in the past because she believes her “track record” speaks for itself.
This was asked of her after the President stated he will reveal who among the presidential aspirants “really cannot be a president” and who among them is “most corrupt.”
Robredo has been the target of the Chief Executive’s tirades since she spoke against his bloody war on drugs campaign during the early months of his presidency. She was asked to resign from her Cabinet position and has been at odds with Duterte on many occasions.
“Ako kasi unang-una, hindi ko kailangan depensahan ‘yung sarili ko dahil yung ginagawa ko naman, ‘yung (For me, first of all, I don’t need to defend myself because what I’m doing, my) track record ko ‘yung aking resibo (is my receipt),” she said on the sidelines of a program in Lamitan, Basilan.
The Vice President is visiting Basilan, Zamboanga del Sur, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi this week to turn over Angat Buhay projects to the fisherfolk community and visit the soldiers at the Camp Luis R. Biel II in Isabela City and the Western Mindanao Command (WESMINCOM) at the Camp General Basilio Navarro in Zamboanga City.
“Hindi ko kailangang makipag-away, hindi ko kailangang mag (I don’t need to argue, I don’t need to have a) press release para sabihing hindi totoo ‘yung sinasabi (to say their claims are not true),” she added.
READ: Duterte's 'reveal' plan on presidential bets 'helpful if true' —Robredo
Robredo has been very consistent in performing her official duties, she claimed, and has never been preocupied with running for any elective post.
“Pero yung ginagawa ko, may eleksyon o wala, may posisyon ako o wala, ‘yung (But what I am doing whether there’s elections or none, whether I have a position or none, the) consistency nandyan (is there), so hindi ako (I am not) bothered na may mga sinasabi tungkol sa akin kasi (that things are being said about me because) ultimately, ‘yung (our) track record namin ‘yung resibo (is our receipt),” she stressed.
An entry into her track record would be the Angat Buhay Weaving Center she just turned over to local government unit (LGU) and the Yakan Weavers of Brgy. Buahan during her visit to Lamitan, Basilan.
Aside from the center, the program also included four units of sewing machines and 30 sets of starter kits with threads donated by Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation (YBHF).
Robredo said that if she becomes president, she will focus on helping the communities “in the margins” or those who do not have easy access to government help.
Aside from the weaving center in Lamitan, the Vice President also has existing programs for out-of-school youth in Sumisip and fisherfolk in Isabela.
In Sulu on Tuesday, Jan. 25, Robredo oversaw the construction of the footbridge to provide more accessibility to towns in the islands. Her team also went to Tawi-Tawi and Sibugay.
“So ang (our) priorities talaga natin yung mga (are the) communities na napag-iwanan (left behind) before na alam natin na ‘yung (that we know that) opportunities tsaka may (and they have) competitive advantage sa ibang mga bagay dapat maging mas (in other things we should be more) mindful tayo na mas nabibigyan natin sila ng pagkakataon (in giving them a chance),” she said.