Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 15) — At least three local chief executives and lawmakers said Vice President Leni Robredo is the only candidate out of the 10 presidential aspirants that embodies the qualities sought by President Rodrigo Duterte for his successor.
Northern Samar Gov. Edwin Ongchuan, who belongs to the National Unity Party, expressed his support for Robredo on Tuesday following a consultation with municipal mayors, provincial, and barangay officials.
“After assessment of the character and track record of all presidential aspirants, it came to our collective discernment that the candidate who best fits these qualities is VP Leni Robredo,” he said in a statement.
Twenty-three out of the 24 mayors of Northern Samar are backing Robredo’s bid.
Eastern Samar Gov. and PDP Laban official Ben Evardone said he sensed that Duterte’s “heart is for VP Leni” after the President said in a televised interview that he wants his successor to be a compassionate and decisive lawyer.
“She’s a lawyer, she’s decisive, she has good judgment, and she has compassion for all sectors, especially the poor,” added the Duterte ally.
House Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez of the Centrist Democratic Party also believes Duterte’s endorsement of Robredo will help her win on May 9, adding she already enjoys wide support that is not reflected in pre-election surveys.
“I have seen the massive crowds that VP Leni’s campaign sorties have attracted. These are ordinary Filipinos, workers, the middle class, those in the A-B economic groups, the laity of the church, and the youth. They are not the ‘hakot’ type, and apparently, they have not been reached by surveys. They are the people who will elect her and make her win, not the pollsters,” he said.
Duterte has not yet endorsed a presidential candidate, previously saying he’d prefer to “stay neutral.”
