Leni, Kiko not surprised by pol bet substitution

Vice President Leni Robredo and her running mate Sen. Francis Pangilinan yesterday said they were not surprised by the possibility that some candidates will substitute and run for national posts.

“Even before Senator Kiko and I decided, we already know that there is a big possibility that this will happen… Our campaign is not affected because it is not hinged on who are our opponents,” Robredo said in Filipino during a press conference in Batangas City.

“That is already expected… We saw in 2016 the substitutions, so this is not a surprise for us,” added Pangilinan, saying they will just continue with their campaign.

Robredo earlier said she was not concerned with the decision of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to withdraw from her re-election bid, stressing that no amount of resources, political power, machinery can topple the will of the people.

Asked about the possibility of Duterte-Carpio teaming up with Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Vice President said it will work to the advantage of the opposition and clearly define who are on the same side.

Pangilinan said such an alliance would show who are the candidates of the administration.

“If they want to continue what the administration is doing, then they can go that way,” he said in Filipino. “But if they do not agree with what the administration is doing now and they want to have a better response to COVID and economic recovery, we are saying the Vice President Leni can solve that.”

During the virtual Kapihan sa Manila Bay, Pangilinan declined to comment on the hint of fellow vice presidential aspirant Sen. Bong Go that he might give up his candidacy.

“Whoever is out there, we consider a formidable opponent,” he said. “Whoever it is, we should never underestimate whoever we are up against.”

The senator, who gave up his reelection bid to be Robredo’s running mate, said there will be no substitution on their ticket.

Meanwhile, Robredo also maintained that she has no involvement in the petition seeking the cancellation of Marcos’ certificate of candidacy for president after the latter’s call for her to order its withdrawal.

“We are not dictators. Why will we dictate the petitioners to withdraw it?” she said in Filipino during a forum organized by the Rotary Club of Makati on Tuesday.

Robredo and Pangilinan are also not worried about their low rankings in recent surveys on the presidential and vice presidential race in the May 2022 national elections.

“The lesson learned in 2016 and previous elections is that at this time things are still very fluid, too early in the game. In September 2016 I was at one percent, then in October after filing I was at four percent, the one leading then was at more than 40 percent,” Robredo explained in mixed English and Filipino during her visit in Batangas City yesterday morning.

“Maybe we can see by March of next year when the official campaign period starts. As of now (low survey results) shouldn’t be a hindrance but rather serve as inspiration to do our work even better,” she said.

As for Pangilinan, “since 2004 all the frontrunners in the presidential election lost,” citing 2009 when Manny Villar was leading in the survey and in 2016 when Jejomar Binay and Grace Poe were leading but also lost.

“This means that the best survey is the results in the coming elections,” he said in Filipino.