1Sambayan endorses Robredo for president in 2022 polls
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 30)— Opposition coalition 1Sambayan has nominated Vice President Leni Robredo as its presidential bet for the 2022 elections.
The group made the announcement in a virtual forum on Thursday.
Retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, convenor of 1Sambayan, said Robredo was endorsed after receiving an “overwhelming majority” of votes among members and partners.
Carpio added the coalition followed a “rigorous process” in reaching the decision. The criteria for choosing the candidate? “Integrity, competence, track record, patriotism, vision for our country, and winnability,” he noted.
“We have chosen VP Leni based on this criteria. We therefore ask VP Leni to accept our endorsement, to lead the Filipino people,” Carpio said during his speech, expressing hope that the vice president will take the challenge.
Will Robredo accept?
Robredo thanked 1Sambayan for the presidential nomination, and for the trust and support thrown her way.
However, she still did not say whether she was accepting the endorsement.
“Mabigat ang hinihiling sa isang pangulo. Maraming responsibilidad at obligasyon ang dala nito— buhay at kinabukasan ng Pilipino ang nakataya. Ang desisyon sa pagtakbo, hindi pwedeng nakabase sa ambisyon, o sa pag-udyok ng iba,” Robredo said in a statement.
“Sa mga susunod na araw, samahan ninyo akong magdasal pa, that our decision will be what is best for our country,” she continued.
[Translation: The president has a heavy duty. There are a lot of responsibilities and obligations that come with the job— lives and the future of Filipinos are at stake. The decision to run should not be based on ambition and motivation from others. In the next days, join me in prayer, so that our decision will be what is best for our country.]
Should Robredo decline the nomination, Carpio said 1Sambayan will meet anew to discuss. The former magistrate, however, sees this as a “remote possibility,” citing the vice president’s former pronouncements that she was willing to help the country.
Consultations for VP, senatorial bets
Meanwhile, Carpio said that 1Sambayan has crafted a list of possible vice presidential and senatorial candidates, but noted the lineup will be finalized in consultation with its presidential bet.
“We hope to complete that in time of the filing of the [COC],” he stressed.
Addressing Robredo’s standings in recent election surveys, Carpio said it is still “very early to rely” on them as of the moment.
“The surveys, at this time of the year, do not really reflect what happens in the elections,” the former justice said.
As early as June, 1Sambayan already announced that Robredo was one of the personalities it has been eyeing to hold the torch for the opposition in next year's polls. The vice president earlier said she was not closing her doors to a possible run for the highest post.
