LP's future hangs in the balance after Robredo, other leaders step down

As the end of her term draws near, Vice President Leni Robredo must face the question of her membership in the erstwhile ruling Liberal Party (LP), in which she is the incumbent chairperson.

Robredo will cease serving as chairperson of the party “automatically” after her term ends, her spokesman Barry Gutierrez said during a recent interview on ANC.

But asked if she will resign from the now-decimated party that she and husband, former Naga City mayor and Interior secretary Jesse Robredo, have been a part of, her spokesman remained mum.

“I don’t know. I think that’s something that has to be resolved soon. As to what (the) LP is going to do, well, that’s something that should probably be asked (from) who(ever) will be the leader of the Liberal Party after June 30,” Gutierrez said.

LP president Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, who ran for vice president during the recently concluded 2022 national polls, will end his term in the Senate. Senator Franklin Drilon, an LP stalwart, is due to retire from public service.

This creates a situation in which the Liberal Party would have none of its acknowledged leaders occupying a national elective of Cabinet position as all three of its incumbent leaders --- Robredo, Pangilinan and Drilon --- would be completing their elective terms on June 30.

Only Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Gabriel Bordado is the active LP member in Congress.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, the only one from Robredo’s Senate slate to win, is from Akbayan Party though she is allied with LP.

Robredo herself was an independent candidate, and used pink—instead of the yellow associated with LP—as her campaign color. The Vice President said this was to show people she’s willing to work with anyone regardless of political affiliations.

With a zero corruption record, she ran on a platform of good governance, but her affiliation with LP had always been used by political rivals to besmirch her name.

Gutierrez said Robredo’s “pink movement” was without the usual LP personalities, adding that “many of them were not affiliated at all with the Liberal Party.”

“Many, in fact, were ordinary citizens who just felt the call to participate in what they felt was historic and important election,” he added.

Her spokesman, who confirmed that Robredo is preparing for her Angat Buhay non-government organization (NGO), hinted of the possibility of a new “party” because Angat Buhay will be “one of the biggest volunteer-driven initiatives.”

READ: Robredo announces creation of Angat Buhay NGO​

“So, definitely, moving forward, it is possible that some new movement, bigger than any individual party, will emerge,” Gutierrez said, adding that it is something Robredo “inspired” during the recent campaign season.