Robredo camp apologizes for big crowd on 'Pink Sunday'; vows stricter compliance with protocols
The camp of presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo apologized for the large crowd for its “Pink Sunday” grand rally at the Quezon Memorial Circle that “violated several restrictions.”

Robredo’s spokesperson Barry Gutierrez promised in a statement that the team will do better in future campaign sorties.
The rally on Sunday, Feb. 13, drew about 7,000 people, estimates made by the Quezon City Police Department (QCPD) said. But Robredo, in her speech, claimed that around 20,000 went to the national park.
“We acknowledge the concerns of the Quezon City Government, extend our thanks for its vigilance, and take full responsibility,” Gutierrez said in a statement.
“While the organizers ensured that access to the immediate vicinity of the program proper was limited, and that all attendees were advised to bring vaccination cards and observe health protocols, the sheer number of people that arrived was a challenge, for which we apologize,” he added.
READ: Robredo ‘overwhelmed’ by huge crowd at ‘Pink Sunday’ rally in QC
The Robredo team also assured the campaign “is taking steps to ensure stricter compliance with all applicable regulations moving forward.”
A separate statement from the Quezon City local government unit (LGU) said the “Pink Sunday” event, attended by Robredo, running mate Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, and their senatorial slate, “resulted in a spillover crowd that violated several restrictions that were mutually agreed upon.”
“While crowd control is a highly complicated aspect of large gatherings, it is a test of discipline for the organizers and attendees to show that their chosen candidates observe the laws of the land,” it added.
“We hope that in the future, all coordinators will take this responsibility more seriously,” the city government said.
Lawyers Sonny Matula, Chel Diokno, and Alex Lacson, reelectionist Senators Richard Gordon and Risa Hontiveros, former Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr., former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, and reelectionist Senator Leila de Lima’s representative also attended the event.
READ: Robredo’s ‘Pink Sunday’ rally is Twitter’s top trending topic in PH, top 3 worldwide
The statement said the Quezon City LGU is “honored and thankful” to be one of the main venues for campaign rallies, and that it is “ready, willing, and able to provide all the necessary assistance to ensure that these activities are safe, and cause minimal inconvenience to the general public.”
Despite the city being under the less restrictive Alert Level 2, the statement reminded that “our country is still in the midst of a pandemic.”