Drilon denies LP pressured Robredo to run for VP

Senator Franklin Drilon (Photo by Joseph Vidal/PRIB via Drilon’s Facebook page)

MANILA – Senate President Franklin Drilon denied reports that the ruling Liberal Party (LP) pressured Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo into accepting the party’s offer to be their vice-presidential candidate in next year’s national elections.

Drilon clarified that the only reason why Robredo was hesitant to immediately accept their offer was because her daughters were against it for ‘fear of the unknown.

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“Hindi po totoo iyan. Siyempre, ngayon pa lang ay kung anu-anong kasinungalingan ang ibinabatao sa atin,” the senator said in an interview over Bombo Radyo, referring to false speculations hurled against the political party.

(That’s not true. Of course, they are throwing allegations against us this early.)

“Kaya po nagdadalawang-isip noon si Congresswoman Robredo ay dahilan sa kanyang pamilya, at ang hindi po pumapayag ang kanyang mga anak, dahil siyempre,‘fear of the unknown.’ Biro mo naman ay bigla at mabigat na responsibilidad itong papasukin ni Congresswoman Leni Robredo, kaya ‘yung mga kanyang anak ay nag-aalangan,” he added.

(The reason why Congresswoman Robredo was having second thoughts before was because of her family, and the ones who were against it were her children, because of course, ‘fear of the unknown.

’ Congresswoman Leni Robredo will be given a sudden and big responsibility, that’s why her children were reluctant.)

But after weeks of wooing her and her daughters, Robredo finally made the decision to run as LP’s vice-presidential bid in the coming general elections.

Qualified for VP

Despite being a neophyte lawmaker, the Malacañang believed that Robredo’s principles and legislative record proved that she was qualified for the country’s second highest post.

“‘Yung prinsipyo po ni Congresswoman Robredo ay nahahalata naman pong naka-align sa mga prinsipyo ng Pangulo, sa mga prinsipyo ni Mar Roxas, at naka-align din po siya doon sa mga gusto pang itulak ‘nung dalawa,” Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

(Congresswoman Robredo’s principles are aligned with the principles of the President, with the principle of Mar Roxes, and she is also aligned to what the two are pushing for.)

“She is also a lawyer at wala hong bahid ang record. Even her legislative record, if you look at the bills that she has filed in Congress in her short – it’s her first – term, makikita niyo po na transparency and accountability ‘yung push ni Congresswoman Leni,” she added.

(She is also a lawyer and she doesn’t have a blot in her record. Even her legislative record, if you look at the bills that she filed in Congress in her short – it’s her first – term, you can see that Congress is pushing for transparency and accountability.)