MANILA – Vice President Leni Robredo said there is no concrete plan yet of her running for the 2022 presidential elections but she’s “not closing” her door on the possibility.
Robredo added she was leaving everything “open” as history proved that a successful presidential run was not something planned.
“Wala naman akong sinasabing may plano akong tumakbo for president sa 2022. Parati kong sinasabi na iyong presidency naman destiny iyan, na hindi napaplano, lalo na parang three years before the elections,” Robredo said on Sunday.
“Kung naaalala lang natin, kahit noong 2016, iyong 2010, iyong presidential elections before that, talagang pinakita na ang daming nagpaplano nang mas maaga na hindi naman talaga nangyayari,” she added.
Robredo said she was facing “challenges” being in the opposition.
“I’m leaving everything open. We still have three years before the next presidential elections. A lot can still happen, and I’ve always said that the presidency is a destiny,” she added.
Robredo said any vice president should have the readiness to assume the top post if anything happens to the president.
“When I ran for the vice presidency, that was one of the prerequisites – that I’m ready to be President. Because the mandate of the Philippine Vice President is to take over if anything happens to the President. So I would not have run for the vice presidency if I thought that I was not ready for the presidency,” she added.
Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Robredo is qualified to run in the upcoming presidential elections as she has met all the qualifications stated in the 1987 Constitution.
“The Constitution provides for qualifications that anyone falls in any qualification, he or she is free to run for the presidency,” said Panelo./PN
The country needs a strongman or strongwoman who is not afraid to wade into unpleasant pools of decay to root out the decaying carcasses of corruption and criminality, not past wishy-washy leaders who allowed even top-police generals to be corrupt, and claim innocence.
I can see Isko Moreno or Sara Duterte in this role, although the latter may not be acceptable just after her father’s tenure which could be a plus or handicap for her.