Groups unite to campaign for Vice President Robredo

CEBU, Philippines —  A new multi-sectoral group dubbed as “Maka Leni sa Sugbo” has emerged and declared their all-out support for the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo.

The group, comprising of transportation, banking, youth, women, labor, and urban poor sectors, has manifested their unity, commitment and support for Robredo only and no other candidates even local.

 Ryan Benjamin Yu, one of the lead convenors, said that in choosing Robredo they conducted surveys among its members and even the passengers as well as dialogues with several groups.

“Ang common candidate namo is Leni Robredo. Ang among grupo is solid Leni. We are not supporting any candidates sa national or local except Leni ra gyud. We are rooting for Leni,”said Yu, chairman of Cebu Integrated Transport Service Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CITRASCO). The transport cooperative has more than 5,000 members.

Aside from CITRASCO, other transport groups supporting Robredo include the Visayas United Drivers Transport Cooperative-MPC (VUDTRASCO), the National Confederation of Transportworkers Union-Visayas (NCTU-Visayas), Banawa Transport Cooperative, Mandaue-Lapu-Lapu Transport Cooperative, Pit-os Talamban Transport  Cooperative, Mandaue Sabang Danao Multicab Drivers and Operators, Compostela Transport Cooperative, Single Taxi Group, United Sugbo Transport Cooperative, Graph-Cebu and Carmen Drivers and Conductors Multi-Purpose Cooperative.

Paul Benemerito, a banker, said that in a bank “honesty is the best policy” and they know their candidates very well.

“Also we conduct risk profiling then look for red flags and enhanced risk profiling. By doing this, we have come up that Leni is the best,” said Benemerito.

Angie Mata of NCTU said that Robredo is a type of a leader who will consult stakeholders before making policies and has helped a lot of people despite the meager budget of her office. She is also viewed as a pro-transport modernization.

The transport groups said they will be campaigning for Robredo down to the grassroots in the days to come.

  In their manifesto of support and unity, they said that Robredo has the necessary capability and experience to lead and understands the problems and issues our country is facing, and has the clear solutions on how to solve it, her being a mother, a lawyer, a former congresswoman and an incumbent vice president.

The group also said that Robredo has been transparent in her service to the Filipino people and no issues of corruption have ever been linked to her.

“Leni Robredo has been advocating for unity of our country, and the upliftment of the lives of her fellow countrymen,” the group added.

Meanwhile, Vice Governor Hilario "Junjun" Davide III and Liberal Party (LP) Assistant Vice President for External Affairs Rudy Cañeda have started efforts to revive the dying Liberal Party. Davide and Cañeda administered the oath of few LP officers in Cebu as part of the nationwide “Balik LP” movement.

Cañeda said there is a need to revive LP all over the country to help the campaign of Robredo, who is running as an independent candidate. According to Cañeda, the party will be guarding the votes of Robredo by providing watchers for her at the voting precincts.

Cañeda hopes that Davide’s runningmate,  former tourism secretary Ace Durano will eventually join the LP. Durano’s party, Bakud, has already endorsed presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos. Jr.

“We are now working on that. We are hoping against hope that Ace will eventually declared his support for Robredo and will swear as an LP member,” said Cañeda.

To date, only Davide and Cebu City vice mayoralty candidate Bimbo Fernandez are bringing the LP banner in Cebu. — FPL (FREEMAN)