Robredo on maintaining her independence: I charted my own course

MANILA, Philippines – A week after she agreed to be the running mate of Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet Manuel Roxas II, Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo reassured her supporters that she won’t easily succumb to pressure if elected vice president in 2016.

In a Rappler Talk interview on Tuesday, October 13, Robredo responded to questions about her independence as a public official, amid speculations that she was pressured to accept the LP’s offer.

“I can prove that I can be very independent if you look at the work that I did in the past,” Robredo said.

Long before she entered politics, Robredo said she chose to work as a public attorney with a non-governmental organization, while her husband, the late Jesse Robredo, led Naga City for a total of 19 years.

Despite calls for her to succeed her husband as mayor, Robredo said she decided to pursue her own advocacies.

“I charted my own course. First ladies in provinces are expected to perform very specific roles and I decided to do something else. I think people who know me know how independent-minded I am,” she added.

It was the death of her husband in 2012, however, that eventually pushed Robredo to run for public office herself, despite her initial reluctance. In 2013, she won the congressional race for Camarines Sur, scoring an overwhelming victory over the politically-entrenched Villafuerte clan that has ruled the district for years.

Two years later, she was asked to take on an even bigger role: to run for the second highest elective post in the land. (READ: Leni Robredo: Low-key political wife goes national)

It took several weeks before Robredo agreed. But contrary to speculations, the lawmaker denied she was pressured by the LP to accept the offer. (READ: Leni Robredo: I can’t refuse call to serve)

“Everyone thought I was being pressured to the highest heavens, but the biggest pressure then was how my family and how my constituents thought about it. Even when the party offered, they said that even if I said no there won’t be any hard feelings,” Robredo said.

While she conceded that being part of the LP meant expectations of being an “obedient member,” Robredo said she felt lucky that the ruling coalition – and its standard bearer – respects her individuality.

“I think [Roxas] respects me enough to understand that I don’t have to agree with him 100%. He tells me to feel free to disagree, so we have spaces to discuss our disagreements,” Robredo said.

She added, “I don’t think agreeing all the time would be beneficial to the country.”

For Robredo, what’s important for her is to constantly check whether she was still being consistent with her values and principles.

In a speech at Rappler’s Social Good Summit last month, Robredo said many first-time public officials enter government service with the best intentions at heart, but end up changing because of the political environment.

The Camarines Sur representative admitted her apprehensions, saying it was an everyday struggle for her to maintain the identity that won her supporters in the first place.

“How much of yourself are you willing to lose just to win? It’s something I have to ask myself every day,” she said. – Rappler.com