BARMM vote is vital to my presidential campaign—Robredo (Sabong News)

COTABATO CITY—For Vice President Leni Robredo, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is important to help her win the 2022 presidential elections. Robredo, the lone female presidential candidate, said she hoped to repeat her 2016 victory in the upcoming polls in the region. “Mahalaga siya. Parati naman siyang mahalaga lalong-lalo na kasi noong 2016, malaki ‘yung pinanalo ko dito…So, kung kayang ma-repeat ‘yung nangyari noong 2016, malaking tulong sa pagka-panalo (It’s important. It’s always important especially in 2016 I won big here…So, if we can repeat what happened in 2016, it will be a big help),” she added. However, Robredo said she wasn’t just visiting the region for the campaign season, noting that the region was a particular focus because of the advocacies left by her husband, the late former Interior secretary Jesse Robredo. On Wednesday, March 16, Robredo had a meeting with BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, Minister for Education Basic, Higher, and Tertiary Education, Mohagher Iqbal, who is also the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief negotiator, and other Cabinet ministers. She also met with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Muslimin Sema, and his wife, former Maguindanao-Cotabato Rep. Bai Sandra Sema. This was part of her agenda as she visited the region to meet with supporters and attend people’s rallies for her campaign sorties. READ: “Noong nasa Congress ako, kaya ako nag co-author ng Bangsomoro Basic Law also because ‘yung paniniwala talaga natin na kailangan ma-achieve ‘yung long-lasting peace dito (Then when I was in Congress, I co-authored the Bangsamoro Basic Law because we really believe that we need to achieve the long-lasting peace here),” she stressed. The bulk of the programs under Angat Buhay, the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) flagship poverty alleviation project, was focused in the Mindanao region. The lone female presidential bet said they had projects in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. Her visit wasn’t meant to merely campaign, but to congratulate the region on what it has achieved so far. “So, kumbaga ‘yung mga ipinaglalaban kabahagi naman kami mula noon pa. Hindi naman ito ipinaglalaban ngayon lang na kandidato kami, pero noon nakikipaglaban pa (we are a part of what they’ve been fighting for since before. We are not just fighting for these because we are candidates, but since before fighting) as a member of Congress, as Vice President, kabahagi na kami ng grupo (we are part of the group),” she said. “Saka ano (And also), amongst friends, kasi marami sa kanila noong pinapasa ‘yung BBL pa sa 16th Congress, ka-trabaho na talaga namin (because many of them we have worked with when the BBL was being passed in the 16th Congress),” Robredo added. At the Cotabato City Hall, the lady official was met by Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi. She also toured the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque, also known as the Grand Mosque, here in the city.