RIZAL, Philippines — Presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo and her running mate, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, vowed Tuesday that their administration will protect the rights of Indigenous peoples and ensure their participation in government.
Robredo and Pangilinan made this commitment as they signed a covenant with 1Sambubungan, a coalition of 18 tribes from across the country, here in Antipolo City.
Key points in the pact include ensuring that Indigenous peoples would be included in the 2025 census, that their free, prior and informed consent is secured for infrastructure projects on their ancestral lands and that their leaders are protected from state violence.
In her speech, Robredo said their vow to protect them goes beyond the covenant that they signed, as they have long been fighting for Indigenous peoples’ rights.
“Iyong amin pong pinirmahan ay hindi lang po iyon sa papel. Ang aming pinirmahan ay hindi lang po ngayong kampanya. Ang pagpapatunay po nito na kahit hindi pa po kami nakaupo ay talagang ginagawa namin iyong aming makakaya para maasikaso kayo,” she said.
(What we signed is not just on paper. What we signed is not just for this campaign. The proof of this is that even if we weren’t in power, we have been doing everything we can to assist you.)
Prior to the death of her husband, former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, which catapulted her into politics, Robredo was working as an alternative lawyer for Saligan, where she represented Indigenous peoples in court.
During her grand rally in Antipolo attended by some 43,000 people who endured non-stop rains, Robredo also harped on what she has done for the city and the province of Rizal even before the election frenzy.
She noted that even though she lost the province to her archrival, former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., in the 2016 vice presidential race, her office still poured in projects for Rizal.
“Iyong mga bumoto po sa akin dito, hindi ko po sinayang ang tiwala niyo,” Robredo said.
(Those who voted for me here, I didn't waste your trust.)