Iloilo Governor Defensor supports Robredo’s presidential run

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. on Thursday, October 28, announced that he will be supporting Vice President Leni Robredo’s presidential bid in the 2022 elections.

Defensor made the statement in response to a question during his regular press conference. After a long pause to take a look around the room, he replied, “Our help will go to VP Leni.”

He recalled his experience campaigning for Robredo in Iloilo in the 2016 elections, when he was still a member of the Liberal Party (LP).

“Based on my experience going to the towns and from before, when I was still a congressman, campaigning in the 2016 presidential elections, and from the pulse of our kasimanwas in the province of Iloilo, I will be supporting Vice President Leni Robredo,” Defensor said.

He also shared his experience working with then-Camarines Sur 3rd District representative Robredo during his last term in Congress as Iloilo 3rd District representative.

“I think she will help us. You can see from the eyes, the sincerity to help our efforts, in our drive for a resurgent, progressive, and globally competitive and resilient province of Iloilo,” the governor said.

“I will invite others to join me, without preempting party and supporters,” Defensor added, referring to the National Unity Party (NUP).

Defensor did not use the word “endorse” but made his support for Robredo clear.

“An endorsement is a campaign word. When you say ‘support,’ it is support to [Robredo’s] candidacy, although there is no difference there. It’s a matter of interpretation,” he said.

The governor stressed that his support for Robredo does not mean that he would stop meeting other presidential candidates who ask for it, nor make it hard for them to campaign in the province.

Defensor said he would also go with Robredo’s running mate, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.

He recalled Pangilinan as the student council chairperson while he was a freshman at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

“Whoever the choice of the [presidential candidate] is, we will also support them. Senator Francis Pangilinan is not a stranger to me. He was chairperson of the University Student Council while I was a freshman at UP,” the governor said.

One of Defensor and Robredo’s former House colleagues, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, is also backing the Vice President in the 2022 elections.

Prior to the city mayor’s endorsement, both Defensor and Treñas had said that they would opt to wait for the NUP’s endorsement.

Concepcion, Iloilo Mayor Raul Banias expressed his support for the presidential run of Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday, October 29.

Banias posted on his personal Facebook account a photo of him and Robredo with the caption, “Good Friday Morning halin sa kay Mayor Doc kag kay VP Leni.”

The mayor confirmed to Rappler via text message that this is an endorsement for Robredo’s presidential bid.

Iloilo province was one of the strongest holdouts for Robredo in 2016, where she garnered 573,729 votes while her closest rival, former senator Bongbong Marcos, was a distant second with only 94,411 votes.

Cagayan de Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno had also earlier declared his support for Robredo. – Rappler.com

Joseph B.A Marzan is a Visayas-based journalist from Iloilo City and an awardee of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship.