One of the many “resibo” or receipts, as she likes to call it, of Vice President Leni Robredo is the fact that she has always been the first on the ground during times of calamities, which is the same promise she made to Quezonians during a visit to Polillo town on Monday, April 18.
The farther the people are in distance, the more she will try to be with them, she told a group of farmers, fisherfolk, coconut farmers, PWDs, women, LGBTQ, market vendors, street vendors, seniors, pedicab drivers, and 4Ps beneficiaries there.
“Lalong malayo, lalong mahirap ang lugar, lalong kaunti 'yung tao, lalong mahirap puntahan, lalo ko din pupuntahan. Dahil alam ko kung gaano kahirap makaabot 'yung tulong dito sa inyo (The farther, the harder to reach the place, the fewer people there are, the harder to reach, the more I will go. Because I know how hard it is for help to reach here), Robredo said.
This was the Vice President’s first visit to the municipality since the typhoons that hit in 2020 when the Office of the Vice President (OVP) distributed relief assistance to those affected.
Aside from residents of Polillo town, the audience included supporters from other towns in the Polillo Island Group, such as Panukulan, Burdeos, Patnanungan, and Jomalig.
Robredo noted that the difficulties in providing basic services in the area was because of the lack of visits to the town by national officials.
“Lalong lalo na kailangan nilang makita na kailangan ninyo ang serbisyo namin. Dahil paminsan pag hindi naman po binibisita, hindi nila nararamdaman kung ano ang inyong pangangailangan (The more that they have to see that you need our service. Because sometimes, when not visited, they don’t feel what you need),” Robredo said.
If she and running mate Sen. Kiko Pangilinan get elected to office this May, the Vice President promised that they will be always be present wherever they are needed.
“Sisiguraduhin po natin, hindi lang aasikasuhin 'yung mga programang kinakailangan ninyo, pero sisiguraduhin namin na sa oras na kami kailangan niyo, andito kami sa tabi ninyo (We will make sure that we will not only focus on the programs that you need, but we will make sure that when you need us, we are here beside you),” she added.
In Infanta, the Vice President earlier delighted the crowd by reading some of the witty placards held high by her supporters. Many of these were clapbacks against the joint press conference of Senator Ping Lacson, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, and former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales.
“Nag-withdraw sa ATM for LeniKiko (Withdrew from ATM for LeniKiko),” a placard quipped in reference to Moreno's call for Robredo to withdraw from the presidential race.
But her supporters also warned the other presidential bets against belittling the “power of the People’s Campaign.”
“They are underestimating the power of the People's Campaign... Sila na lang magpakabayani para sa bayan (They should be the ones to be heroic for the country)! Only men should withdraw from this presidential race,” Ava, 27, a private school teacher, said.
Mary Anne, 53, added that Robredo’s three rivals shouldn’t have done that because if their supporters really “love them,” they will also fight for their candidacies.
“Iboboto ka nila kung talagang gusto ka nila (They will vote you if they really like you),” she said.
Another supporter, who identified himself as Kevin, called the joint press conference a showcase of “hurt masculine ego.”