Vice President Leni Robredo's character as a good mother is an important element of being a good leader, her eldest daughter Aika said.
"Sa tingin ko, malaking bahagi ng pagiging mabuting lider niya ang pagiging isang mabuting ina (I think a big part of her being a good leader is being a good mother)," Aika said during 1SAMBAYAN’s forum in time with the celebration of Women's Month.
"Madalas po kami tanungin, ano ba ‘yung difference ni Leni as a mother and Leni as a leader? Sa tingin ko po hindi mapaghihiwalay ‘yun (We are often asked, what is the difference between Leni as a mother and Leni as a leader? I think that is intertwined)," she pointed out, adding that the Vice President always has time for them despite her busy schedule.
The young Robredo also emphasized the importance of having a good leader who shows up in the most difficult times, citing the Vice President's swift response at the height of the pandemic.
She likewise lauded the Vice President, who is the lone female candidate in the 2022 presidential race, for never backing down on a challenge and for remaining calm in stressful times even before she entered politics.
"Sinasabi namin na yung mga trolls lugi sa kanya dahil sa dami nang pinagdaanan niya sa buhay, hindi na siya naapektuhan (We always say that trolls will just lose to her because of everything that he went through in life, she was no longer affected)," Aika said.
Robredo's husband, former Interior and Local Government chief Jesse Robredo, died in a plane crash in 2012. Prior to this, she helped represent victims of domestic violence as a lawyer affiliated with the Naga chapter of Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Pang Legal (SALIGAN).
"Binigyan siya ng iba-ibang assignments, pero walang ni isang beses na umatras siya sa hamon. Parati niya itong hinaharap nang buong tapang, nang buong-buo, na pinag-aaralan niya ang bawat sitwasyon at alam niya po na kailangan niya mag-step up every time (She was given various assignments but not once did she back down from the challenge. She faced it with courage and wholeheartedly. She studied every situation and she knew that she has to step up every time)," she added.
Aika, who chairs the Jesse M. Robredo Foundation named after her late father, also noted that her mother knows her priorities as a leader and as a parent.
"Malinaw yung priorities niya... Tingin ko po importante yun lalo na sa isang leader na alam mo kung kailan ka nasa background lang at alam mo kung kailan yung oras na kailangan ikaw naman yung nasa sentro (Her priorities are clear ... I think that's important, especially for a leader, to know whether you should be in the background of at the center)."
Aika also revealed that Robredo's platform is based on her personal experience as a mother and as free legal aid lawyer working with the marginalized, such as the three-month financial assistance for the unemployed under her "Oplan Angat Agad" agenda.
The Vice President also sees her position as a means to push for the programs that she advocated during her time on the ground while working with fishermen, farmers and mothers, among others.