No turning back for ‘Kiko’
The lawmaker is running for vice president in the upcoming polls alongside Vice President Leni Robredo who is gunning for president.
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Friday said there’s no more turning back on his vice-presidential bid after receiving an “explosion” of support for his candidacy in the 2022 national elections.
“As we have seen, we’ve been flooded with support. And this all-out support makes us more confident to run. We will continue until the end and we will for God and our people,” the Senator said.
“There’s no turning back now. Like I said, in the first three days I was trying to figure out what is pushing me but after a while, I realized that it was the support of fellow Filipinos who are now standing and speaking up” he added.
The lawmaker is running for vice president in the upcoming polls alongside Vice President Leni Robredo who is gunning for president.
He earlier said he is willing to forego his candidacy and run for reelection should a more “winnable” vice presidential bet express interest to form a tandem with Robredo and ensure her victory.
“These motorcades, for example, in the coming days, this is purely spontaneous, we did not organize these,” the Senator said.
“So, the explosion, the flooded support, they encourage us to pursue the candidacy,” he added.
Pangilinan’s vice-presidential bid came to a surprise after he filed his Certificate of Candidacy (CoC) even after confirming his reelection for senator.
He lodged his CoC on 8 October — a day after Robredo confirmed that she will seek the country’s highest office.
The Senator will go against some of his colleagues in the Senate including Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and Senate President Vicente Sotto III — uncle-in-law of his wife, singer-actress Sharon Cuneta.
Also seen as among his top rivals are House Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza and Dr. Willie Ong.
Pangilinan also brushed off pre-election surveys, saying the most important polls will be on the election day.
“Let’s wait… those who were pronounced as sure winners during the September surveys in the presidential elections lost,” he said.
“The poll that really matters is on 9 May 2022,” he added.