SORSOGON CITY—"Keep the faith."
This was how aspiring president Vice President Leni Robredo reassured her supporters who are starting to be anxious over the nearing elections.
"Magtiwala lang, magtiwala lang kasi hindi lang ako ang nagsipag, sila din. Hindi lang naman ako ang ginawa ang lahat pero sila din (Keep the faith, keep the faith because I was not the only one who worked hard, they also did. I was not the only one who did everything, they also did)," Robredo said in an ambush interview, following the grand rally here Friday, May 6.
The Vice President said as long as they did all what they could in the right way, there is nothing to be worried about.
"Yung lesson naman natin sa buhay basta lalaban tayo to the best of our ability pero sa tamang paraan, gagawin natin lahat, leaving no stones unturned. Hindi natin gagawin yung mga masasamang ginagawa ng iba, Diyos na ang bahala pagkatapos (Our life lesson is as long as we fight to the best of our ability in the right way, we will do everything, leaving no stones unturned. We won't do the bad things others do, God will be the one to judge)," she further said.
Three days before election day, the presidential aspirant said she's not anxious, instead she remains confident.
This confidence, she said, is rooted in the efforts she put in her campaigns and the strong showing of support from the people anywhere she go in the country.
"Hindi ako kinakabahan, kasi ginawa ko naman ang lahat, ako na yata ang pinakamasipag (I am not anxious, because I did everything, I think I am the most diligent)," Robredo said.
She said she has been gaining confidence from her supporters, who are collectively called kakampinks, for always showing up in huge numbers, boosting her three-month nationwide campaign.
She gets tired too, she said, but the people have been giving her energy. She admitted that she somehow feels sentimental now that her campaign is about to end.
"Napapagod pero 'pag kasama mo na ang mga tao parang yung energy ng tao nalilipat sa amin kaya kahit puyat kahit pagod looking forward pa parati sa mga susunod na events. Parang nakakalungkot na tapos na bukas dahil naging masaya talaga ang kampanya (I get tired but when I am with the people, their energy seems to boost me even with no enough sleep, even when I'm tired I look forward to the next events. I feel somehow sad that the campaign is over because it really was a happy one)," Robredo said.
"Yung nangyayari ngayon (What's happening now is) so much more than we expected the start of the campaign, hindi natin inaasahan na, hindi lang ito magiging simpleng kampanya kundi talagang krusada na (we did not expect this, this is not just a simple campaign but indeed a crusade) and I think yun ang (that's the) biggest blessing," Robredo also said.
'Liars from the beginning, liars until the end'
The vice president also had some words to say to those who keep spreading fake news about her, intended "to fool the people" about her real intentions.
These people spreading fake news about her, she said, have "no redemption" and will "remain liars until the end."
The lies peddled against her are obviously "very far from the truth," she added.
"Nakakalungkot lang ngayon kasi yung pag-spread ng kasinungalingan ganun pa din. Halimbawa na lang ‘yong election protest na binrand ako na nandaya. Ilang beses ko na siyang natalo sa Supreme Court, unanimous ang decision, 15-0, ang narrative niya dinaya pa din siya (It's just disappointing that the lies being spread against me are all the same. For example, they way they branded me as cheater on the election protest. I have defeated him multiple times in the Supreme Court, with a unanimous decision, 15-0, his narrative is that I cheated)," Robredo said.
"So parang wala nang redemption, talagang ang sinungaling sa umpisa, sinungaling din sa kahuli-hulihan, kawawa yung mga Pilipinong napapaniwala (So, it's like they no longer have redemption, indeed liars from the start are liars until the end)," she added.