At least 400 faculty members of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) declared their support for the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo.
In a statement released Tuesday, March 1, the group said Robredo has "consistently demonstrated exemplary servant leadership" by promoting advocacies in life, freedom, justice, and solidarity in the service of the family, community, Church, and environment.
"She has shown genuine compassion for the marginalized through her Angat Buhay programs and has repeatedly shown respect for the dignity of a person regardless of race, religion, age, and gender," they said.
"As an effective communicator and collaborator, she has successfully inspired individuals and groups from diverse culture and demographics to work together for countless projects and programs, able to prove that good governance can and shall uplift the lives of the Filipino," the group added.
The faculty members also recognized Robredo's "creative and responsive" COVID initiatives, stressing that the vice president's pandemic response has "highlighted her unquestionable capability to work effectively under any pressure or crisis, apply ethical and evidence-based approaches to address problems, and devise both emergent strategies and long-term plans" to lead the country.
"Her constant humility to listen, if not provide a voice, to those in the peripheries, attests to her fidelity to the teachings of Christ. Not by mere lip service but by steady example, she promotes the continuous deepening of faith and spirituality in dealing with everyday life situations and challenges," the group asserted.
"Our country is at a crossroad. We are in a critical period of our history. We need a competent, committed, and compassionate leadership to rise above these troubling times; to overcome health and economic challenges; to revive the respect for human dignity; to achieve moral restoration; to champion truth, justice, and peace."