The energy is high during the early morning 鈥淪orsogon Grand Rally: Angat Buhay, Bicolandia!鈥� for fellow Bicolano, presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo, and running mate, Senator Kiko Pangilinan on Friday, May 6, 2022. Thousands of Sorsoganons, the province鈥檚 local officials, and celebrities attend the event which is Robredo鈥檚 first of three grand rallies Friday. She will proceed to Legazpi City in Albay by afternoon, and in the evening, she will return to her hometown, Naga City, Camarines Sur. (VP Leni Media Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday reassured supporters and volunteers who were getting anxious as Election Day draws near.
In an ambush interview, Robredo urged them to be faithful and remember that all of them gave their all during the 90-day nationwide campaign to win the presidency for her and the vice presidency for running mate Francis 鈥淜iko鈥� Pangilinan, as well as the senatorial bid for the tandem鈥檚 slate.
Robredo narrated how she and her team and the volunteers were the most hardworking, as they barnstormed as many areas 鈥� near and far 鈥� across the country and conducted house-to-house efforts at the tail end of the campaign.
鈥淗indi ako kinakabahan kasi ginawa ko naman lahat. Ako na yata 鈥榶ong pinakamasipag [鈥 鈥檡ong nangyayari ngayon so much more than we expected at the start of the campaign. Hindi natin inaasahan na hindi na lang siya magiging simpleng kampanya kundi talagang krusada na and I think 鈥榶un ang biggest blessing,鈥� Robredo told reporters after her rally in Sorsogon City.
(I am not feeling nervous because I did everything I could. I may already have the most hardworking鈥� what鈥檚 happening now is so much more than we expected at the start of the campaign. We are not expecting that it would no longer just be a simple campaign but a real crusade already and I think that is the biggest blessing.)
鈥淢agtiwala lang, magtiwala lang kasi hindi lang naman ako ang nagsipag, sila din. Hindi lang naman ako ang ginawa ang lahat, pero sila din. 鈥榊ung lesson naman natin sa buhay basta lalaban tayo to the best of our ability pero sa tamang paraan,鈥� she added.
(Just trust, just trust because it鈥檚 not only me who worked hard, they too. It鈥檚 not only me who did everything, they did everything they could too. Our lesson in life is to just fight to the best of our ability but in the right way.)
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According to Robredo, there were times when she and her team were so tired but the crowd鈥檚 energy pushed them to continue working despite the odds.
鈥淪o sobrang energized pa. Napapagod pero 鈥榩ag kasama mo na kasi 鈥榶ong mga tao, parang 鈥榶ung energy ng mga tao nalilipat sa amin kaya kahit puyat, kahit pagod, looking forward pa parati sa mga susunod na events. Parang nakakalungkot nga na tapos na bukas dahil naging masaya talaga ang kampanya,鈥� she said.
(So, we鈥檙e still so energized. Tiring but when you鈥檙e already with the people, it seems like the people鈥檚 energy is transferred to us so, despite the lack of sleep, and tiredness, we鈥檙e always looking forward to the next events. It鈥檚 quite saddening that it would end tomorrow because it鈥檚 been really a fun campaign.)
鈥淕agawin natin lahat, leaving no stones unturned. Hindi natin gagawin 鈥榶ung mga masasamang ginagawa ng iba, 鈥榶on naman 鈥榶ong pinaka-mahalaga. Diyos na ang bahala pagkatapos,鈥� she added.
(We鈥檒l do everything, leaving no stones unturned. We will not do the dirty tricks being done by others, that鈥檚 the most important thing.聽 God will do the rest after this.)
Robredo earlier returned to Sorsogon City where she received a rockstar welcome from more than 40,000 supporters along Magsayasay Street.聽 Sorsogon was their team鈥檚 first stop for her miting de avance on Friday, before moving to Legazpi, Albay, for another Grand Rally later on the same day.
Robredo鈥檚 penultimate campaign sortie would end at her hometown Naga City, where a huge crowd is expected to fill up Magsaysay Avenue. As early as Thursday night, people have been flocking along the road to check the preparations for the program in Naga.
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In the 2016 vice presidential race, Robredo won big in Bicol Region, getting 1.499 million votes compared to second-placer, incumbent Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero, who got 476,483 votes.
At that time, Robredo was running against four other candidates with roots from the Bicol Region 鈥� Escudero who hails from Sorsogon where he largely won; former senator Antonio Trillanes IV who is part of Robredo鈥檚 Senate slate now; and former senator Gringo Honasan.
Robredo would need similar or more support from the Bicol Region again in the upcoming polls to overcome the perceived edge of her archrival, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whom she beat in the 2016 presidential race.
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