Human rights lawyers and advocates pledged their support to the presidential bid of Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo.
In a statement, they said they support Robredo as their “advocate who walk the same path” as theirs.
"In the coming 2022 elections, there is only one lawyer-advocate running for president – Leni Robredo. This would have been enough for those in the profession to support her; but that she also happens to be a lawyer for the poor and the marginalized has made the case for her stronger, if not, no longer subject to dispute. For those who are unsure, we name the ways Leni is fit for purpose," they said.
The signatories include lawyers and advocates from Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panlegal (SALIGAN), Coalition of Moro Youth Movement, Inc., Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), StreetLawPh, Free Legal Assistant Group (FLAG), South East Asian Human Rights Studies Network (SEAHRN), National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), Union of Peoples’ Lawyers Mindanao (UPLM), BALAOD Mindanaw & KAISAHAN, Integrated Bar of the Philippines in Iloilo, Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation (HLAF), Save the Children, Verite SEA, and AKBAYAN.
They recalled that before entering politics, Robredo was part of the non-governmental legal group, SALIGAN, which belongs to the network of the Alternative Law Groups (ALG).
They said “Robredo championed the weakest and the poorest during her time with the group, since she believes those who have little in life deserve more in law.”
They also said: "Robredo has handled cases for women, children, the urban poor, workers, and fisherfolks. What she said in an interview is true; while she has only been a public official for nine years, she has been a public servant for most of her life. These include the years she has served side by side with her late husband, former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse M. Robredo."
They pointed out that when Robredo became a congresswoman and vice president, she showed that her "mettle" for government service “is equal to her zeal in civil society work.”
"She has brought her sense of solidarity with poor people, sharpened by all the time spent with them, to public office," they also said.
Robredo has the perfect union of "proficiency and activism," which during this time is essential in achieving "accomplishment-based justice," they said.
For people who refuse to partake in the election process anymore, they urged them to reconsider.
"But they must look closer, in no other candidate can a better future be imagined, outlined in concrete details and informed by national experience. Other candidates are running to keep power in the family, to rehabilitate a soiled name, or to merely add a feather in their cap of personal achievements. But for Leni, the muse is first and foremost service," they added.