Five of Vice President Leni Robredo’s senatorial candidates vowed to uphold women’s rights and push for their agenda if they are elected in May 2022 polls as they greeted women all over the world on International Women’s Day.
Reelectionist Senator Risa Hontiveros recognized the gains by women leaders in the past years.
“Ang aking adbokasiyang ‘Healthy Buhay at Hanapbuhay’ ay para rin sa bawat Pinay, dahil napatanuyan natin na kapag sinusuportahan ang kababaihan, sinusuportahan din ang buong lipunan (My advocacy of ‘Healthy Life and Livelihood’ are also for every Filipina because we proved that if we support women, we are also supporting society),” she wrote on Facebook.
Hontiveros, who is running for her last term in the Senate, is the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality.
Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, in particular, recognized Robredo as the “hope of the country.”
“Babaeng lider ang pag-asa ng ating bansa, at ito ay nasa katauhan ni VP Leni Robredo. Ang aking suporta sa kanya ay isa ring pagkilala sa lahat ng kontribusyon ng mga kababaihan ngayong panahon ng kampanya (A woman leader is the hope of our country, it is in the person of VP Leni Robredo. My support to her is also a recognition of all the contributions of women at this time of the campaign),” he wrote on Facebook.
“To all the mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and all the women who support our candidacies, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” he added.
Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno honored the “crucial role in our society” that women play, mentioning the likes of Sr. Mariani Dimaranan and Nini Quezon Avancena, who fought the Marcos dictatorship, and Anna Patricia Non, who “ignited the spirit of bayanihan at the height of the pandemic” when she started the community pantries to help feed the needy.
“As we honor women’s important role in our country and society, we also vow to ensure that women’s rights are upheld and never sidelined, that they are always part of the agenda. Women’s rights are human rights. Kaisa ninyo ako sa panawagang maging liyamado ang mga kababaihan (I am with you in the call to make women advantageous),” he wrote.
Detained Senator Leila de Lima hailed women’s resilience for fighting back despite society’s unequal treatment of them, adding that her own person was ridiculed in Congress, traditional media, and social media.
“Hindi sumuko, hindi nagpatinag, sa halip ay lalong nagpakatatag (Did not surrender, did not back down, but instead became stronger),” she said of women.
De Lima promised to pursue laws and resolutions in the Senate that will protect the rights of women.
“Katulad ng dati kong sinabi, at lagi kong sasabihin sa lahat ng panahon: Sapagkat ang maging babae sa panahon ng ligalig ay maging babaeng lumalaban (As what I’ve always said, and I will always say all the time: To be a women in times of trouble is to be a woman who fight),” she wrote.
Lawyer Alex Lacson, who is also running under Robredo’s ticket, expressed his admiration of women’s strength in principles.
“Babae ka at hindi babae lang (You are a woman and not only a woman),” he said on Facebook.