Robredo to supporters: Be calm in political discussions

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo yesterday enjoined her supporters to remain calm when engaging in political discussions, saying the color pink should reflect a movement that promotes love and openness to pursue a better future.

In a recorded video message, Robredo said pink represents the sense of hope felt by many of those who expressed their support since she announced her presidential bid.

“Let us show that pink is not just a color, but also a way of life. It is not just something that we wear or a ribbon, but a color of someone who is open, willing to listen, and loving,” she said in Filipino.

“We have to show the true meaning of pink when we wear it. Do good, extend help to others, be calm in sharing our message,” she added.

Amid hateful and divisive political discussions, she urged her supporters to focus on feelings and sentiments that bind every Filipino.

“From there, shed light on the truth,” she said. “Remember: it is easy to argue, but it is more radical to love.”

During a virtual meeting with her supporters, Robredo said she was overwhelmed with the commitment, passion and energy of those who are helping her presidential bid.

She reiterated her call not to stoop down to the level of those who use troll farms for propaganda.

“We should just be truth warriors. If we see disinformation, we fight smart. Let us think of ways on how to refute their lies without going down to their level,” she said.

Robredo’s supporters will hold a coordinated motorcade across the country tomorrow to show their support for her and her running mate, Sen. Francis Pangilinan.

Leni offers support to EJK victims’ kin

Last Wednesday, Robredo reiterated her support to families of victims killed in the government’s war against illegal drugs.

She attended the blessing and turnover of the cremated remains of seven victims who were exhumed after the lapse of the five-year lease on their graves in various public cemeteries in Metro Manila.

The Vice President expressed her sympathies to the families of the victims, including widows who were left to raise their children on their own after their husbands died because of the drug war.

“We can no longer get back the lives of those we have lost, but by working on to improve our lives now, it is as if we offer something to them: that even when they are no longer with us, you make sure that those they left behind are taken care of,” she said in Filipino.

“I am here, my office is just here. If you need anything – even if just having someone to talk to, our door is always open for all of you,” she said.

Robredo, a critic of the government’s war on drugs, has partnered with various civil society groups to provide various interventions and support for families who lost their loved ones to extrajudicial killings.

The cremation of the remains of the seven drug war victims was facilitated by the Society of the Divine Word’s Project Paghilom, an initiative that aims to provide support to families of those killed in the drug war.

Its founder Fr. Flaviano Villanueva said Robredo’s presence during blessing and turnover provided a comforting atmosphere to the families.

“More than offering sympathy, she assured our dear widows that they are not alone in their journey of seeking healing and justice,” he said in a Facebook post.

“VP Leni mirrored how it is to be father, who bravely stands with the weak; and a mother, who offers a soothing comfort during one’s most difficult moments,” he added.