Drilon: Robredo’s rivals in ‘panic mode’ after her rallies drew huge crowds (Sabong News)

Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon on Monday, March 14, said Vice President Leni Robredo’s rivals are in “panic mode” with the rising people’s support for her presidential bid. Drilon, a known political ally of Robredo, called the massive turnout of volunteer-supporters at her campaign rallies a “phenomenal movement”. “I am surprised. To be candid, I have not seen this crowd and passion since 1986 when Cory Aquino came into power,” he said in a statement. The team of Robredo and her running mate Senator Kiko Pangilinan has been holding campaign sorties that were attended by tens of thousands of their supporters or “kakampinks” in Cebu, Iloilo, Butuan, Cavite, Bulacan, Bacolod, Manila, and Isabela since Feb. 24. These rallies have been generating huge and record numbers of attendees. Around 40,000 attended in Iloilo, 47,000 in Cavite, 45,000 in Bulacan, and 86,000 in Bacolod, by far the biggest rally this election. These figures have been reported by the Robredo campaign but were belied by her rivals and their leaders, particularly Cavite Rep. Crispin Remulla. The senator believes that this mammoth crowd sent Robredo’s opponents in a “panic mode”. READ: “The Oplan Baklas, the allegation of the crowd is hakot, the accusation that VP Robredo is supported by the communist group, these are clear indications that they are panicking,” Drilon said. He expressed confidence that Robredo’s numbers in the upcoming surveys will reflect the massive attendees during her campaign sorties. “The effect of the huge rallies, I respectfully submit, are not yet reflected in the surveys done,” Drilon said. “The fieldwork was done before all of these rallies were conducted,” he noted. READ: Meanwhile, Drilon said the next Philippine President should be a lawyer and economist like Robredo because of the country’s economic situation brought about by the pandemic and rising fuel prices. “This is what we need today. A lot of questions have been raised today about our judicial system. Therefore, we need somebody who could restore the confidence of the people in the rule of law which is so essential to our democracy,” he said. “Given our very difficult economic situation which I have said is a perfect economic storm, the President must be able to have a grasp of these substantive aspects of governance in order to govern effectively,” he added.