The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo is confident that it has the “best candidate” but it also recognizes the challenges of launching a presidential campaign amid the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Robredo’s spokesman Barry Gutierrez said this on Thursday, Feb. 3, during a virtual 1Sambayan forum entitled “Halalang Tapat, Pag-asa ng Lahat.”
“Hindi ako kinakabahan. Buo ang loob ko na (I am not nervous. My conviction is clear that) there is a way forward at sa dulo kaya nating ipanalo ito. At nanggagaling iyong (in the end, we can win this. And that) conviction na ‘yun (comes from) from several things. One is really the fact I already think we have the best candidate,” he stressed.
Gutierrez argued that “objectively,” Robredo has the track record and clear stand on social issues.
“Klarong-klaro na siya talaga ‘yung angat (It is very clear that she’s above) compared sa iba (to others),” he added.
The challenge, however, is not in having the best candidate, but in “running the better campaign” despite the pandemic.
Robredo and her running mate Senator Francis Pangilinan will hold a proclamation rally in Camarines Sur on Feb. 8, kicking off the start of the official campaign period for national candidates.
READ: Robredo to lead opposition’s proclamation rally in Naga on Feb. 8
The spokesman shared they will have a “hybrid” of personal interactions and online meet-ups.
“As much as possible, gusto syempre namin i-maximize ‘yung (we want, of course, to maximize the) possibilities of face-to-face campaigning. Talagang magkaroon ng (We will really have) physical activities dahil tingin namin importante ito (because we think this is important),” he said.
He assured that their camp “will take every measure to ensure” the safety of the participants in the event.
Since January, he shared that the Vice President has been attending Zoom meetings with different sectors. She also sends video messages for events, activities, and launches done by her supporters.
It also helped that the presidential aspirant established the Robredo People’s Council, which is a system that allows the core campaign group to send advisories and reminders to supporters all over the country.
READ: ‘Robredo’s People Council’ formed to organize her supporters, volunteers
“Right now, a large part of that better campaign involves being able to answer ‘yung (the) challenge of how we harness itong (these) energies nitong talagang (of really) unprecedented outpouring of support galing sa mga ordinaryong mamamayan (from ordinary people),” he said.
Gutierrez added that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) already raffled a schedule for the online rallies “to make up for or at least augment” the restrictions on face-to-face campaigning.
“We are slowly coming to achieving clearer balance paano ipagawa ‘yun (how to do that),” he assured.
Aside from social distancing restrictions, Gutierrez noted attendees of physical rallies will have to present either their vaccination cards or a negative RT-PCR or antigen test result.
“The uncertainty created by COVID has really put us in a very, very unprecedented situation as far as campaigning goes,” he explained.