Why most incumbents will run with Leni

By Herbert Vego

MY imaginary crystal ball shows the incumbent governors and mayors rooting for Vice-President Leni Robredo, 56, as their candidate for President in election 2022. It’s getting obvious that wherever the “pink lady” goes, there goes the multitude of excited supporters shrieking and shouting, “Leni! Leni! Leni! Leni!”

“Volunteerism” is the word that best describes their eagerness to be seen with her.  They see the need for a consistent “show of force” that would negate whatever fake, mind-conditioning surveys are aimed at pulling her down.

The heads of the city and province of Iloilo – Jerry Treñas and Arthur Defensor Jr., respectively – have already revealed their support for her.

Treñas describes VP Leni as “someone who has shown an unyielding courage in the face of adversity, someone who has proven to be effective despite the limited resources, and someone who has no traces of corruption.”

Naturally, any other local politician would like to identify with a winner to be a winner, too.

Robredo’s popularity stems from her moral ascendancy over the other candidates; and from public perception that the others had collaborated with the outgoing administration.

Remember the times she refused to be used?  A case in point unfolded in November 2019 when President Rodrigo Duterte named her “drug czar” with supervisory jurisdiction over all law agencies enforcing crackdowns on illegal drugs.

Having seen official records of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) showing some 7,000 drug dealers and users killed in raids, she asked the President to allow the United Nations to probe allegations of human rights abuses.

That resulted in the termination of her appointment.

This writer firmly believes that a wrong winner in the presidential race could turn this country into a mere “province” of China. Let us recall that occasion when, as guest speaker of the Chinese Business Club on February 19, 2018, Duterte joked, “Kung gusto ‘nyo, gawin ‘nyo na lang kaming province, parang Fujian (If you want, just make us a province, like Fujian).”

Taking seriously his oft-announced “friendship” with China’s President Xi Jinping, we have reasons to suspect that China would intervene in the May 9, 2022 election.  That “beneficiary” could be anybody but VP Leni.

Leni’s win could mean official recognition of the July 12, 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague specifying that the Philippines, not China, owns the disputed territories within the West Philippine Sea.

Why should we not be comfortable with the other presidential candidates – namely Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Christopher “Bong” Go, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Manny Pacquiao and Isko Moreno?

It’s because some or all of them could be clandestinely supported by China. To quote former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, “Another six years of our country run by candidates under the thumb of China would be catastrophic. These Manchurian Candidates will deploy full power and money for the 2022 elections. If elected, they will rot the soul of our nation and undermine its pillars.”

The insinuation against a candidate for being a “cocaine user” – obviously alluding to Bongbong Marcos — could be a mere ruse by President Duterte so that if he wins, it could not be because of presidential intervention.

Why should he hit Bongbong who has presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio as vice-presidential running mate?

The President’s supposed support for Bong Go, an incumbent senator who would keep that position should he lose, is skin deep. Go projects the image of a mere presidential “alalay” with big deals, as in brokering the Pharmally anomaly which cost the government more or less P10 billion for overpriced medical supplies.

“Never again!” echoes the public outrage against the candidacy of Bongbong, the only son and namesake of the late President Marcos. He wants to rewrite history which chronicles graft and corruption during the 20-year reign of his dictator dad.

Senator Ping Lacson and his running mate Senate President Tito Sotto sound insincere in their TV ad: “Tapusin ang dilim, yakapin ang liwanag.” They have always been supportive of “darkness” under Duterte. In fact, they are the principal authors of the Anti-Terrorism Act, which creates an environment prone to abuse. The law legalizes extended periods of warrantless arrests of up to 24 days.

As a senator and a former congressman, what has boxer Manny Pacquiao done to deserve the presidency? His opposition image resulted merely from his realization that Duterte would not endorse him.

As mayor of Manila, what has Isko Moreno done to level up?

Is it because, as a son of a basurero, he has catapulted himself from rags to riches?

In fairness, however, he has denied the report that he now lives in a posh subdivision at Ayala-Alabang.