MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo is now moving to forge a broad alliance for the 2022 elections, with her having met at least three prospective candidates for next year’s polls.
Robredo’s spokesperson, lawyer Barry Gutierrez, confirmed that Robredo met with Sens. Panfilo Lacson, Dick Gordon and Vicente “Tito” Sotto III last week as part of her “commitment to forge the broadest possible unity among groups and individuals seeking change in 2022.”
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Lacson and Sotto have announced that they will be running as president and vice president, respectively, in the May 2022 elections, and have positioned themselves as alternatives to the administration and the opposition.
Earlier in the day, Lacson bared during a press briefing that he and Sotto met with Robredo along with former Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, but refused to disclose details of their meeting.
Sen. Richard Gordon, who has also stated that he is open to running again for president, also told ABS-CBN News Channel’s Headstart that he was invited to speak with Robredo, but also refused to disclose what they discussed.
Robredo, the de facto leader of the opposition, has been vocal about the need to unite against the administration’s candidate, stressing that the country cannot afford another six years of President Rodrigo Duterte’s brand of governance.
She is among the potential presidential candidates of fledgling opposition coalition 1Sambayan, but has signalled that she is willing to give way to a candidate who is more likely to win, given her poor performance in surveys.
But as early as now, her moves to form a broad united front which would go head-to-head against the administration’s bets are being frowned upon by former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who has also announced that he might be gunning for the presidency in 2022.
“Pasensya na po pero the Magdalo group would not join you and LP (Liberal Party) kung mag give way kayo para kay Sen. Lacson,” Trillanes said in a tweet.
(I’m sorry but Magdalo would not join you and the LP if you will give way to Sen. Lacson.)