At this point in the campaign, we are certain that Vice President Leni Robredo will be the next President of the Philippines
We can back this up with three things: her People's Campaign, which began yesterday, her performance at important presidential forums and interviews, and her portrayal of a "new" Leni Robredo, who is extremely known to her followers but very alien to her adversaries.
The Campaign for the People
The People's Campaign began yesterday, and Robredo's team kicked things off with their hashtag campaign #KulayRosasAngBukas, which held the #1 spot on Twitter trends for hours.
While we understand that social media algorithms determine what appears in my feeds depending on my digital engagements, yesterday's echo chamber was deafening. There were Zumba sessions in Boracay, river parades in Cebu, kalesa caravans in Pampanga and Ilocos Sur (the bailiwick of her main adversary, Bongbong Marcos Jr.), and numerous other motorcades across the country.
We looked for similar volunteer-led campaigns for the other presidential candidates. We saw several, but not quite as many as Robredo's fans.
What's remarkable here is that Robredo was not physically present in any of these volunteer-initiated initiatives (which would also be impossible); instead, she was touring across her hometown Camarines Sur to launch her People's Campaign.
This demonstrated that she has a large army of volunteers (not hired trolls!) who would rally for their leader even in the absence of politicians with badly inept dance routines, expensive entertainment, or popular celebrity hosts - just a plain cry for genuine leadership.
Another intriguing aspect of Robredo's huge rally in her district was how she was able to rouse competitors to join her crusade. Naga City's leading mayoral candidates, reelectionist mayor Nelson Legacion and former mayor John Bongat, have already endorsed Robredo. Meanwhile, Gabriel Bordado and Noel de Luna, both candidates for Camarines Sur's 3rd District Representative, have pledged to support Robredo's cause.
If anything, this demonstrates Robredo's ability to bring opponents together, which has historically been a difficult task in Philippine politics.
The People's Campaign isn't actually a competition to see who can gather the most supporters or hold the most entertaining rally. However, it may give us a sense of the strength of the candidates' supporting bases, which will be essential on Election Day.
So, if the elections were held today, Robredo would have already won.
Participation in presidential debates and interviews
Robredo has also slayed interview after interview, most notably the two extensively broadcast presidential forums by GMA Network and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP).
One of the most memorable parts of her interview with award-winning television journalist Jessica Soho was when she stated that, while her opponents are likely to be more experienced politicians than she is, she has long been a public servant. Perhaps that is what the Philippines requires now - a public servant who has spent a significant amount of time working at the grassroots level in order to understand the fundamental causes of problems. Her interview with Soho highlighted her strength as a public servant even more.
Robredo's advantage as an economist is also apparent. For example, Robredo told Soho that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), which has been plagued by a slew of corruption scandals and issues, should be led by a health economist or an expert in actuarial science, a field concerned with assessing risks and ensuring the financial stability of financial or insurance organizations such as PhilHealth. Experts in this discipline employ mathematics, statistics, and probability principles to predict future events and take preventive steps. Only Robredo could have said something so specific and correct.
Even when confronted with more personal concerns, such as her "failure" to unite the opposition, her engagement with the Liberal Party, and her rivalry with Marcos Jr., the incumbent vice president maintained her poise. Robredo did not falter in the face of such difficult questions. (After all, GMA-7 stated in a statement regarding Marcos Jr.'s absence from their show: "The questions are challenging because the job of the presidency is tough.")
Robredo was able to establish that she understands the issues – whether at the grassroots or international levels – such as the West Philippine Sea conflict, the drug war and human rights, labor rights and workers' pay, class disparity, and wealth tax, among others, in both shows.
A candidate's performance in a forum or interview, like the People's Campaign, is no guarantee of victory. However, the electorate can undoubtedly use it as a foundation for deciding who to vote for. This is why the presidential debates earned great ratings on television - proof that the public craves such performances in the months coming up to Election Day.
A 'new' Leni Robredo is on display
Her adversaries continue to claim that Robredo is a "weak" leader because she is a woman, an argument that is, predictably, not new in the patriarchal society of the Philippines. In all forums and interviews, Robredo was able to promote her narrative that, while being a woman does not guarantee her victory, it also does not guarantee her defeat (heck, she won the vice-presidential race in 2016, beating all of her male opponents including Marcos Jr.).
Furthermore, she has already demonstrated a distinct Leni Robredo: feisty, swift, and combative.
In a one-on-one discussion with television host Boy Abunda, Robredo stated unequivocally, "Number one, sinungaling. "Pangalawa, hindi siya nagpapakita sa difficult circumstances" (Number one, he is a liar. Number two, he does not show up during hard times).
And when asked if she is ready to reconcile with Marcos Jr., Robredo could have simply replied Yes to get the sympathy and support of her adversaries (the majority of whom are supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte and Marcos Jr. — two persons the public knows have not been kind to her). "Ano 'yung mensaheng binibigay natin sa tao?" she asked instead. Is it acceptable to accept all of the past abuses? Is corruption acceptable? Is it okay if you've been convicted of a crime but haven't yet been sentenced? "(What is the message we are sending to people? That all of the past injustices are, okay? That corruption is, okay? That being convicted of a crime is, okay? It's NO.
Who said she was weak again? Who said she was soft-spoken again? Who said she couldn't quarrel and fight? We don't believe her detractors can use these terms against her any longer. What else are they going to do?
The closer we go to Election Day, the more we see Robredo's true colors - pink, like a pink rose, the color of love, hope, and a lovely metamorphism.
All of these factors, and more, put her in a strong position to win.
#KulayRosasAngBukas #AngatBuhayLahat #AngatLahatKayLeni #LeniRobredo10 #LabanLeni2022 #LeniKiko2022
SOURCE: yahoo
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