Team DailyPedia
When then DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) Secretary Jesse Robredo died in a plane crash in 2012, his widow—Maria Leonor Gerona Robredo—was suddenly thrust into the public limelight. She was persuaded to run as Representative of the Third District of Camarines Sur, a position she was elected to in 2013. Because of the circumstances surrounding her entry into the political arena, some people have lumped her into the same category as Cory and Noynoy Aquino—proclaiming that a vote for Robredo would be a sympathy vote for the loved ones the deceased had left behind. What most of the public don’t know, however, is that Robredo had already chalked up a long list of merits and achievements even before seeking public office. Given her quiet demeanor, these accomplishments have largely remained unknown to many. Here are ten reasons to consider in voting Leni Robredo for vice-president:
1) Educational background. In 1986, Robredo graduated from the UP (University of the Philippines) School of Economics. She then pursued further studies at the University of Nueva Caceres, where she got her law degree in 1992.
2) Lawyer for the masses. SALIGAN (Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panligal,) as described in Robredo’s official website, “is an organization for alternative lawyering, offering her legal services and expertise to the poor and the marginalized sectors, especially in far-flung communities in the provinces.” During her term as coordinator of the organization, SALIGAN was awarded in 2007, the “Kabalikat ng Bayan Award for its exemplary efforts to achieve sustained growth and development through paralegal education and networking.” In 2009, Robredo was also honored as the “Most Outstanding Private Prosecutor” by the VACC (Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption).
3) Tsinelas Movement. Jesse Robredo was known for wearing shorts and tsinelas. When his wife hit the campaign trail, she did it in a pair of tsinelas as well. The ubiquitous footwear has become a symbol for the Robredos’s leadership style, meeting with people face-to-face to know their problems firsthand and organizing solutions from the ground up. Another thing Leni is known for is taking public transport. She takes a bus from Manila to Naga and back to visit with her constituents every week. The Doon po sa Amin website quotes Robredo as saying that “it’s a commitment for them so they will remain rooted and avoid getting tempted and becoming used to the perks and privileges that comes with the job.”
