“Vice President Leni Robredo’s candidacy is gaining traction as the country prepares for presidential elections in May”
It was still unclear if Philippines Vice President Leni Robredo will run for President, following the notorious authoritarian Rodrigo Duterte, only days before the deadline to file certificates of candidacy with the country’s Commission on Elections. In fact, there were rumors that she was seeking the governorship of her native province, Camarines Sur, rather than the often-chaotic national elections.
Fast forward to March 2022, and Robredo’s presidential campaign has proved to be more than simply a campaign; it has become a movement. The various volunteer groups that have formed to assist Robredo in his bid for the Philippines’ highest office are a textbook social movement, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, which is defined as “the more or less spontaneous coming together of people whose relationships are not defined by rules and procedures but who merely share a common outlook on society.” The Philippines last had a powerful social movement in 1932, when it ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
Unlike her well-heeled opponents, Robredo began her campaign with inadequate funding to endure the three-month period leading up to the May 9 election. Robredo, on the other hand, isn’t unfamiliar with working with little resources. Despite holding the Philippines’ second highest office, the Office of the Vice President (OVP), for over six years, she has never had a complete mandate or financing from the government, provoking Malacaang’s wrath.
The OVP has overcome the numerous obstacles that have been in its way. Despite Duterte’s personal attacks accusing Robredo of “competing” with the administration, the OVP’s disaster relief and poverty alleviation initiatives were and continue to be praised for their effectiveness.
Various types of Robredo campaign items, including as tarpaulins, shirts, fans, stickers, pins, posters, and other paraphernalia, are now available on social media platforms, online marketplaces such as Lazada and Shopee, and even Facebook groups. Private organizations made up of schoolmates, churchgoers, hobbyists, and others have pooled resources to buy and construct campaign kits. While some people utilize these campaign kits for themselves, others purchase and gift them to other people, families, and organizations. Leni’s followers have been spotted calling for Ipanalo natin eto (“Let’s win this”) on social media.
Despite the passion of her fans, she still faces several obstacles. For example, presidential polls done by Pulse Asia in January and released earlier this month show that Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is the favorite.
With little under two months till an election that many are calling the most significant in modern Philippine history, the Leni-Kiko campaign is currently attracting tens of thousands of people to rallies. With Robredo’s campaign pledging to recover democracy, preserve the nation from dynasty politics, and lift the country out of Duterte’s dictatorship, numerous issues remain: Will Robredo’s campaign’s enthusiasm be enough to convert a “pink movement” into a “pink revolution”? Will the race’s lone lady be the last guy standing?
Works Cited:
Perez-Amurao, Analiza Liezl. Will the Philippines’ Future Be Pink? 18 March 2022. https://thediplomat.com/2022/03/will-the-philippines-future-be-pink/. 24 March 2022.
