De Lima expresses support for Robredo's presidential bid: "It has to be Leni; It can only be Leni"

Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima expressed full support for Vice President Leni Robredo who announced her presidential bid for the May 2022 elections last Oct. 7.

De Lima said Robredo's candidacy for president is the country's hope to return to the decency in government and to save the Filipino people from what she described as the "national nightmare of the past five years" under the Duterte regime.

"It has to be Leni. It can only be Leni," said De Lima, who, like Robredo, also hails from Bicol.

"Sa pagdeklara ni VP Leni Robredo ng kanyang pagtakbo bilang Pangulo, natapos na ang matagal na agam-agam ng ilan na baka walang malakas na pambato ang oposisyon. Ang desisyon ni VP Leni ay simula ng pag-asa at pag-asam ng marami para sa isang mabuting liderato sa susunod na anim na taon," she added.

Just a day left in the filing of certificates of candidacy, Vice President Robredo announced that she is running for president in the 2022 national elections, saying that she is now ready to fight it out in the upcoming polls despite challenges.

"Buong-buo ang loob ko ngayon. Kailangan nating palayain ang ating sarili mula sa kasalukuyang sitwasyon. Lalaban ako, lalaban tayo, inihahain ko ang aking sarili bilang kandidato sa pagka-pangulo sa halalan ng 2022," said Robredo.

De Lima said Robredo is the "decent alternative" for the country's new leader as she lauded the latter's sterling record in effectively addressing issues hounding the country.

"In the past half decade, Duterte and his gang have grossly mismanaged the government and our economy, bungled the pandemic response, plundered the public coffers, betrayed the Filipinos in favor of foreign interests, ruined our democratic institutions, and committed innumerable crimes and human rights violations against our people."

"Pinakyaw na ata ni Duterte at tropa n'ya ang lahat ng pwedeng gawing masama sa pamamahala," she said.

"VP Leni has the full grasp of the important issues, has the comprehensive and doable solutions, and has the abilities and proven track record to address the most pressing problems that plague us. Si VP Leni ay may tapang, galing, sipag at pagkalinga sa kapwa, sa bansa at sa Pilipino, lalo na ang mga nasa laylayan ng ating lipunan," she added.

Despite the meager budget for the Office of the Vice President, and the marginalization and vilification that Robredo has been getting from Duterte and his gang, De Lima stressed that the former "has amazingly shown her mettle, moral courage, competence and resourcefulness."

"All these years - especially during the ongoing pandemic - VP Leni has demonstrated time and again her brand of proactive and compassionate leadership. In services and programs that she personally supervises on the ground, she has extended much needed assistance to our medical frontliners, workers, urban poor, rural communities and other disadvantaged groups," said De Lima.

"To top it all, her office has been consistently given outstanding COA reviews in the past three years, showing how transparent and incorruptible she really is," she added.

Most importantly, De Lima said that "VP Leni has the clearest vision - along with the good heart and the bright mind to match it - of where we ought to be: a better place and a brighter future, away from this national nightmare of the past five years. And she has the right character, the correct attitude, and the best tools that can take us there."

Last August, Robredo also rallied behind De Lima as she openly supported her fellow Bicolana during the launch of #LabanLeila2022 campaign volunteer network in Bicol.

In her message, Robredo said that "history will remember this as a time of grave injustice not least because a person of great honor, courage and integrity like Sen. Leila has had to sacrifice years of her life in the name of truth and our rights."