Robredo open to running for president but prefers local office

By: Katrina Hallare - 4 years ago

ROBREDO PRESENTS 2021 OVP BUDGET: Vice President Leni Robredo faces the members of the Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee A during a virtual hearing Wednesday, September 30, 2020 to present the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) proposed 2021 budget amounting to P679 million. Robredo, in her presentation, cited various programs and projects such as the Angat Buhay, Bayanihan e-Skwela, and Community Mart e-palengke services that benefitted thousands of Filipinos all over the country. 鈥淲e are confident that with our proposed budget for next year, we can further expand the work with our partners for our shared goals of defeating the virus and improving the lives of our people,鈥� Robredo said. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)

This file photo shows Vice President Leni Robredo presenting the proposed budget of her office to the Senate. (Photo from a video from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Vice President Robredo is open to the possibility of her running for president in the 2022 elections, but she prefers to run for local office.

鈥淚f I run for president, I need to be really ready 鈥� ready not only for the job but for the fight, and that鈥檚 where the problem is,鈥澛� she said in Filipino in an interview with GMA 黑料社 in Naga City, Camarines Sur, when asked for a reaction to calls for her to run for the highest government post.

鈥淎s in all my other elections, I鈥檓 open to all possibilities. I鈥檓 okay with everything 鈥� with various positions,鈥� she added.

Later on, she said that she would be much 鈥渉appier鈥� in local office where she would have 鈥渄irect contact鈥� with people.

鈥淪o very, very honestly, if I had a choice, I would prefer a local position,鈥� she said.

Asked when she would announce her decision, she said the earliest would be by September 鈥� a month before the filing of the certificate of candidacies for the 2022 national and local elections.

鈥淎s of now, I鈥檓 open to anything. I don鈥檛 want to quarrel with anyone. But for me, wherever I am needed, that鈥漵 where I鈥檒l be,鈥� she said.

Later she said: 鈥淎nd running for president is still possible.鈥�

Robredo鈥檚 name has been floated lately as one of the Liberal Party鈥檚 choices to be the standard-bearer for the 2022 polls.

Robredo鈥檚 supporters also launched a signature campaign called 鈥淚 am ready for Leni,鈥� which has so far garnered thousands of signatures.

But Robredo鈥檚 spokesman, Barry Gutierrez, and she herself said that her focus at the moment was the Covid-19 response.

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