Less than a week ago, it was almost impossible to think that the Camanava Rock and Rosas concert would push through or even if Vice President Leni Robredo herself would be able to attend.
But five days of volunteerism from various artists and performers turned into a 21,000-strong campaign rally that is more a music fest than a political sortie.
This particular rally was headlined by Ben&Ben, Chicosci, The Juans, The Company, Frenchie Dy, Jason Dy, Noel Cabangon, Kuh Ledesma, Gracenote, Tropical Depression, and Prettier Than Pink, among others, made it a top-trending topic on Twitter.
However, the Vice President is well-aware that some naysayers are criticizing her rallies.
“Bakit ba kayo andito? Andito lang ba kayo para sa mga banda? Andito lang ba kayo para sa mga performers? Di ba andito kayo lahat para ipakita ang pagmamahal niyo sa ating bansa (Why are you here? Are you just here for the bands? Are you just here for the performers? Aren’t you here to show your love for country)?,” Robredo said.
Her closest rival and survey frontrunner, former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., had a landslide victory in Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela) in 2016, getting more than 477,000 votes against the Vice President’s 252,000 votes.
This was not lost on Robredo, who arrived at the Notre Dame of Greater Manila Open Field in Caloocan City despite an earlier conflict in schedule.
“Dito po sa Camanava, napakalaki ng talo ko nung 2016 (Here in Camanava, I had a big loss in 2016),” she told the crowd that spilled over nearby St. Mary’s grounds.
The crowd chanted, “Babawi kami (We will make it up)!”
“Pero ako po, nung nanalo na ako as vice president, pantay-pantay na ang pagtingin ko sa lahat. Hindi po ako tumingin ng kulay. Hindi ko po tiningnan ‘saan ba ko tinulungan, saan ba hindi?’ (But me, when I won as vice president, I look at you equally. I don’t look at the color. I don’t look ‘Where did I receive help? Where didn’t I receive help?’),” Robredo said.
The Vice President mentioned her livelihood programs, medical assistance, community kitchens, and community learning hubs in Camanava.
Also, she tapped the sewing community there to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) sets for hospitals.
“Kung ito po nagawa natin na kokonti yung ating mandato at kokonti ang ating pera, ano pa kaya kung maging pangulo tayo (If we did this when we had a small mandate and few money, what more if we become a president)?,” Robredo asked.
The aspiring president had to cut her speech short for the observance of Earth Hour.
Afterward, numerous bands and artists performed for the crowd.
Prettier Than Pink, which sang senatorial candidate Chel Diokno’s jingle, even called on the human rights lawyer on stage to sing their version of “Chel Ka Lang” to the tune of the band’s hit song, “Cool Ka Lang.”
These artists reached out to the organizers via social media earlier this year, expressing their intent to share their talents with the kakampinks.