Leni Robredo, behind closed doors

The manner by which presidential candidates operate behind closed doors is a good indication of how they will perform as president.

This is the second installment of a series where I attempt to capture the values, character and leadership style of presidential candidates based on interviews with their closest coworkers.

Securing an appointment with Vice President Leni’s close-in “generals” was not difficult. The Office of the Vice President (OVP) has always been welcoming of civil society, given its strong culture of volunteerism. When I arrived, the place was abuzz with volunteers organizing humanitarian missions. The OVP’s philanthropic activities have gone on uninterrupted despite the frenzy of the presidential campaign.

By chance, VP Leni caught a glimpse of me as I walked the corridor. She excused herself from a meeting to have a short chat with me. The Vice President is as humble as she was when I first met her back in 2014. She has not lost herself despite being in the vortex of fame and influence. Drunk with power, she is not. She is still one of us… a simple hardworking Filipino doing her best to serve her countrymen.

I had a long chat with Atty. Barry Gutierrez, vice presidential spokesman; Macky Blanco, head of the policy making group and, for a limited time, Usec. Philip “Boyet” Dy, the Vice President’s chief of staff. The trio gave me insights on how the Vice President operates when in work mode.

We all know that the Vice President had to endure immense persecution from Malacañang and its army of trolls for six years. How did she cope? With extreme calm and dignity, the group chimed. To her, persecution is nothing more than unnecessary noise that takes away mind-space. Purposeful chief executives are able to rise above the clutter and stay focused – this is exactly what the VP did. She chose to dwell on the grander mission of helping the disadvantaged fighting for good governance.

If there is anything that affects her, it is when the poor and defenseless are made victims of the elite or the heavy hand of government, said the group. She stands for what is right and is willing to take Malacañang’s bullets, if need be. We’ve seen her bravery when she condemned EJKs before a United Nations forum. Her principled stance caused her to be stripped of a Cabinet position and starved of a budget. But despite being disempowered, the Vice President found her own power in doing what is right. She uses this power to empower others. Such is her magic.

Not to be gagged, the VP spoke openly about how government had allowed China to get away with grave abuses in the West Philippine Sea without consequence. She spoke up again during government’s botched COVID response.

Doing what is right is at the heart of VP Leni’s politics. She is on the right side of our sovereign claim over the West Philippine Sea. She is on the right side of democracy and human rights. She is on the right side of climate change and environmental protection. On economic matters, she is on the right side of free trade and fair business practices. She decries bullying investors and dishonoring binding government contracts. She supports economic reform, especially those that favor the narrow elite at the expense of the majority. She supports political reform to democratize power.

Many forget that between 2013 and 2016, VP Leni was already a reformist in Congress. There, she advocated good governance and public accountability. She fought for the Freedom of Information Act and the Bangsamoro Basic Law. She authored the Full Disclosure Policy Bill to realize greater transparency in government. She was (and still is) a defender of the marginalized, having sponsored the Open Door Policy Act, the People Empowerment Bill and the Anti-Discrimination Bill. As a legislator, she accomplished more than other presidential candidates.

In 2016, the Vice President established Angat Buhay, an organization designed to help the disadvantaged in five aspects: nutrition, education, universal health care, rural development, women empowerment and housing. Angat Buhay provides the framework for the sourcing of aid and its efficient disbursement to qualified beneficiaries. Through volunteerism and donors, here and abroad, Angat Buhay has been able to help hundreds and thousands of families meet their basic needs.

The Vice President demonstrates that scarcity of resources is not an excuse for being ineffectual. Having an impact is all about focus, intention and hard work.

How is she as a leader, I asked the group. Obsessive and thorough, replied Macky Blanco. She never comes to a meeting unprepared. She studies issues thoroughly and remembers even the minutest details of issues. She is quick to understand topics, even those outside her scope of specialty, such as technology and health care.

Mondays are devoted to Management Committee meetings and in this forum, everyone has a voice. It goes without saying that all must be prepared with something of value to contribute. Those who have not done their homework are neither yelled at nor embarrassed – the Vice President simply relies on them less. Those that do good are complimented generously.

Beneath the amiable, poised and elegant lady we see on the surface is a fierce and purposeful leader in the boardroom. Most may not be aware that she is the visionary, architect and driver of her programs. She conceptualizes projects based on the needs she sees while visiting the grassroots. She may drive her staff hard, but it is done so that more can be accomplished with less resources. The OVP has achieved more than anyone expected despite the odds. Her diligence, work ethic and ability to engage civil society are her secret weapons. These weapons enable her to do the seemingly impossible.

Her core values are what will make her stand out as president of the republic. VP Leni stands for inclusive leadership (constituents involved in governance), pro-people policies, inclusive prosperity and equal rights for all. She detests corruption and will quash it, when elected. She abhors the abuse of power and, most of all, resents   injustice towards the marginalized.

Under her leadership, we can expect good governance where the rule of law is held primordial, where the tenets of democracy are held sacred, where honesty and transparency prevail and where dignity in government is restored.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow him on Facebook @Andrew J. Masigan and Twitter @aj_masigan