With 23 days left before the 2022 elections, the family of the late President Ramon Magsaysay has expressed full support for the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo.

In a statement released on Black Saturday, April 16, the president’s son, former Senator Ramon “Jun” Magsayay Jr., declared Robredo is the best presidential candidate who embodies the ideals of his late father.

In fully embracing Magsaysay’s belief that those who have less in life should have more in law, the former Senator said Vice President Robredo had served the marginalized by being a lawyer for the masses without much fanfare or pretension.

“As a public servant, VP Leni has initiated programs, such as the Angat Buhay program, that have uplifted the lives of those in the margins of society despite having limited means,” the statement read.

“As she believes that the common people are at the very center of public service, the Filipino people may expect Vice President Leni Robredo to espouse President Ramon Magsaysay’s enduring legacy of championing the Filipino masses,” it continued.

Jun Magsaysay also called on his fellow Zambaleños, Bataeños, and all Filipinos to support Robredo. The statement was released a few days before Robredo visited Zambales and Bataan on Tuesday, April 19.

Ramon Magsaysay was the nation’s seventh president and was known as “The champion of the masses.”

This was not the first time a Magsaysay recognized a Robredo. In 2000, the late former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his "sheer dedication, untarnished reputation, and visionary leadership as the three-term Mayor of Naga City." The Ramon Magsaysay Award is the highest honor bestowed upon Asian individuals and organizations who have devoted their lives to service.

Meanwhile, the UP (University of the Philippines) Vanguards for Leni and Kiko has released a unity statement of support for the presidential bid of Vice President Robredo and her running mate, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.

“Never in the history of the Philippines has one leader initiated and inspired a movement in the spirit of genuine bayanihan (unity) that draws the best of the Filipino in all sectors of society,” the statement said.

A total of 144 members from across generations signed the statement, with the oldest Vanguard belonging to Batch 1950 and the youngest from Batch 2021.

In their expression of unity, the Vanguard signatories chose to endorse Robredo and Pangilinan “as they exemplify the best and inspiring qualities of the Filipino” and after they had “examined the platforms of all presidential and vice-presidential tandems and have studied their track records, accomplishments, academic as well as professional qualifications.”

The Vanguards also said the social and economic plans of Robredo and Pangilinan for the country are “congruent with our own visions of the Filipino future.”

Aside from applauding Robredo’s respect for the law and competent governance, the group also pledged to “engage with respect and humility, ensuring that truths and facts prevail over misinformation, disinformation, and historical revisions.”