‘Backrider’ Robredo draws biggest crowd yet in Cavite sortie

MANILA, Philippines — Stuck in traffic on her way to what her campaign described as her biggest sortie so far, presidential candidate and Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday night hitched a ride on a motorcycle to reach the event’s venue in General Trias, Cavite.

The Vice President surprised her supporters when she arrived not in her usual motorcade, but on the back of a motorcycle, wearing a red helmet.

According to event organizers, over 47,000 attended the grand rally at the General Trias Sports Park, the biggest campaign crowd since the start of the election season.

A Twitter user who introduced herself as the rider’s wife said her husband, Sherwin Abdon, was in disbelief when Robredo’s staff asked if he can drive the Vice President to the venue.

“It was an honor for my husband to serve VP Leni,” she said in Filipino in a Twitter exchange with The STAR.

Unlike in previous provinces that drew massive crowds during Robredo’s sorties, Cavite is far from being her bailiwick.

A rival, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, hails from the country’s second most vote-rich province, while its governor, Jonvic Remulla, has promised to deliver a resounding win for former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

But Remulla’s declaration of 800,000 votes for Marcos also became a rallying cry for Robredo’s supporters in Cavite, who adopted the slogan “800K minus 1” during Friday’s activities.

Prior to the grand rally in General Trias, the Vice President also held activities in Carmona, Dasmariñas, Noveleta and Rosario.

Robredo expressed confidence that, with the outpouring support of volunteers, she will be able to win in Cavite, which has over 2.3 million registered voters.

In 2016, she lost by over 150,000 votes to Marcos in the province.

“We can see what the volunteers are doing. We do not have this in 2016,” she said in Filipino. “We are very hopeful that we will have a better showing here compared to 2016.”

Robredo barnstormed Bulacan on Saturday, another province won by Marcos in the 2016 vice presidential race.