Robredo campaigns in Romblon, says she’s confident to win again in the province (Sabong News)

Presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo expressed confidence on Thursday, March 10, that Romblon province will once more vote for her as it did in 2016 when she won against her main rival, former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. On the sidelines of her Romblon sortie, the Vice President told reporters that since she sat as the country’s second highest official, she was confident she has given back to the province. “Ako sa province, oo (confident to win), kasi hindi naman ako huminto (Me in the province, yes, because I never stopped). Over the course of the six years that I was Vice President, tuloy tuloy ‘yung programa dito (the programs continued here),” she said. “’Yung relationship ko dito, hindi lang naman sa mga politicians, pero ‘yung relationship ko dito (My relationship here is not just with politicians, but my relationship here are) with the communities that we’ve been helping,” Robredo added. Although there are losses because the political landscape has changed seeing as she’s not part of the administration right now, the lone female presidential candidate in this year’s elections stressed that there are also “gains” and that they “far outweigh the losses.” “’Yung isang gain din, noong 2016 noong tumatakbo ako, wala akong ganitong volunteers. Walang mga volunteer groups on their own, nag-oorganize, sila ‘yung nagkakampanya sa amin pag wala na kami sa lugar, and I think, ito ‘yung pinakamahalaga sa lahat (The one gain last 2016 when I was running, I do not have these volunteers. There are no volunteer groups on their own, they organize, they campaign for us when we are not here, and I think, this is the most important of all),” she explained. Robredo, who is running as an independent candidate despite keeping the chairmanship of the Liberal Party (LP), said those with her now are the ones who truly believe in her. “Hindi lang sila sumasama dahil kasama ko sila sa partido pero ito ‘yung sumasama dahil pareho ‘yung paniniwala sa atin at naniniwala sila na ako ‘yung nasa best position na magdala ng kabutihan para sa lugar nila (They are not with us because of the party but they’re with us because we have the same beliefs and they believe I am in the best position to bring goodness to their places),” she stressed. Robredo won big in Romblon in 2016 with 57,920 votes against Marcos’ 23,763 votes. Earlier, the Vice President had a meet-and-greet with the women mayors and visited the Community Learning Hub at Tugdan Elementary School. This was one of Robredo’s programs during the height of the pandemic when face-to-face classes where suspended. The hub served 82 beneficiaries with a total of six teacher-volunteers. She also had a meeting with Romblon Fisherfolks Association of Looc at the Sitio Sto. Nino in Looc. There, Robredo discussed with them the issues the fisherfolk are facing and how she can help them should she win as president. Similar to her previous sorties, Robredo‘s supporters came in droves to see and cheer the presidential aspirant at her campaign rally in Odiongan, Romblon. Squeezed against each other, they held up homemade witty placards for Robredo to read. “Singkit ako pero mulat sa katotohanan (I am chinky-eyed, but I am aware of the truth),” read one sign. “Gobyernong tapat, feeling 22 lahat (Honest government, everyone will feel 22),” another read, in reference to Taylor Swift’s song “22” and the year 2022. A group of Robredo’s supporters stood on top of the roof of a nearby building and held a large streamer that said, “Leni My Love.” Reading witty placards of kakampinks has been one of the activities in Robredo’s grand rallies, attended by tens of thousands of supporters.