Vice President Leni Robredo bared some interesting tidbits about herself as she took on the fast talk challenge during “The Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews” on Saturday, Jan. 22.
Under the challenge, a series of questions is hurled at the presidential aspirant, which he or she must answer quickly.
According to Robredo, Senator Manny Pacquiao would be her top choice among the presidential aspirants if she was not vying for the presidency herself in the coming May 9 polls.
“Kilala ko siya. Alam ko na napakasinsero niyang tao (I know him. I know he is a very sincere person),” she said of Pacquiao when asked who would she vote for aside from herself.
Asked who would be the Philippine hero she would want to speak with if given the chance, the Vice President replied: “Jose Rizal. Dahil iyong pinagdaanan niyang panahon napakahirap (Because he went through a very difficult time).”
The Vice President also shared that she always carries a cross with her.
Asked about her guiding principle in life, Robredo said, “Laging gumawa ng tama at i-treat iyong ibang tao kung papaano natin i-treat ang sarili natin (Always do what is right and treat other people the way we would want to treat ourselves).
Quizzed on her actual working hours, Robredo told Soho: “On the average, mga (about) 18 hours a day. On the average, anim na oras ang tulog ko (I sleep six hours a day).”
Meanwhile, Robredo said she is in favor of mandatory drug testing for all candidates, peace talks with Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), public disclosure of government officials’ statement of assets and liabilities and net worth (SALN) and the President’s medical records, prohibition on candidate substitution by withdrawal, legalization of medical marijuana, and prohibition on political dynasties.
Robredo, however, has reservations on a number of things, such as same-sex marriage. She said she only agrees with civil unions of same-sex couples.
She also said she's "open to discussing" the 100 percent foreign ownership issue.
Likewise, she’s open to joint explorations with China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), but maintained that Beijing should first recognize the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its centuries-old nine-dash line, which is the basis of its sweeping claims in the region.
Robredo said she is against allowing candidates to run for an elective post if there’s a pending case filed against them. Still, she noted that it all depends on the available evidence.
Surprisingly, even as she is known to be a vocal critic of the President Duterte's bloody anti-illegal drugs campaign, Robredo refused to give a straight answer to the question of whether or not Duterte should be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“Wala ako sa capacity para magsabi na kailangan siya i-prosecute o hindi kasi nasa preliminary investigation stage pa lang siya (I am not in the capacity to say that he needs to be prosecuted or not because it’s just in the preliminary investigation stage),” she explained.
Lastly, Robredo said she opposes the following: divorce, death penalty, abolition of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), legalization of "jueteng", lowering the minimum age of criminal liability, and Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).