More than two years ago just before the 2022 presidential election, I wrote an ATABAY article Letter To Inday Sara Supporter Who Is Also My Friend, which, curiously, has taken on a life of its own amid Sara’s recent resignation, some excerpts below:
After I vote for Leni [for president] and hope she’ll win, my voter’s task ends. Yours just begin: after you vote for Sara [for vice-president] and hope she’ll win; further, you dream she will become a president in 2028. For such a dream to come true, she must first jump over the following three hurdles:
Hurdle 1. She must win the 2022 VP race.
Hurdle 2. She must perform with flying colors during her VP term.
Hurdle 3. She must be awarded the leadership succession presidential “baton” by her president.
While Leni is running as an independent, on the other hand, Bongbong is running under the umbrella of multiple parties with a throng of vested interests. Aiming now for the 2028 presidency is a horde of younger and ambitious breed of second-generation leaders emerging from a band of dynastic political clans embedded in Bongbong’s camp.
My friend, at this point, if ever you find that Leni’s presidency offers a much better prospect for Sara’s presidential run in 2028, then, such a conclusion is not a product of a tricky analysis of Sara’s predicament, but as an insight I am sharing with you as your friend.
Interestingly, looking back, Rep. Joey Salceda, an economist and a legislator, chimed in with my perspective with his RoSa tandem endorsement: “If you want a good economy, vote for Robredo-Duterte.”
Such a tandem, sad to say, didn’t see the light of day.
Let’s look over Sara’s hurdles.
Hurdle 1. Sara won the 2022 VP race.
Hurdles 2 & 3. At the moment, Sara staggers, closing the windows of political opportunities with her recent resignation.
Quo Vadis, Sara?
One path of opportunity for Sara diverges in a political wood. But it will be a difficult journey. Just as M. Scott Peck started his book The Road Less Travelled, with the line “Life is difficult,” so too did Robert Frost in his poem The Road Not Taken compose that it’s “the road less traveled.” The Bible says that it’s a narrow road and only a few find it.
One took a journey on such a road that has made all the difference -- Leni. Oddly enough, it was Sara’s father, then President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (PRRD), who carved out for Leni the difficult and narrow road. The following headline then spoke volumes of the political harshness that Leni put up with under PRRD: Robredo asked to stop attending Cabinet meetings, quits post. (Inquirer)
“From the very beginning, the President and I had major differences in principles and values,” Leni narrated. “Since I assumed office, I have been consistent in my opposition to issues such as the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, extra-judicial killings, reinstating the death penalty, lowering the age of criminal liability, and sexual attacks against women.”
Hoping her commitment to the poor and marginalized would transcend the differences between PRRD and her, Leni accepted the offered job of Housing Secretary.
Despite the obstacles thrown at Leni’s way, such as a budget cut of P19 billion for all key shelter agencies, disregard of all her key shelter agency appointment recommendations, and neglecting the Executive Order designed to make HUDCC effective, in barely five months, Leni racked up solid accomplishment in HUDCC.
All of a sudden, Leni received a text message relaying PRRD’s instruction “to desist from attending all Cabinet meetings.”
That was the last straw for Leni. Since it would be impossible for her to perform her duties, she tendered her resignation from the Cabinet. Leni bid farewell:
“With this resignation, you can expect that I will continue to support the positive initiatives of this administration and oppose those that are inimical to the people’s interest. However, as your duly elected Vice President, I will not allow the Vice Presidency to be stolen. I will not allow the will of the people to be thwarted. I will continue to serve the Filipino family and fulfill their dream for a better life.”
Against All Odds
Leni persisted and turned out well as a “stand-alone” VP which Rocel Lazaro of the Friedrich Haumann Foundation describes:
“As a staunch critic of President Duterte’s deadly 'War on Drugs,' Robredo has been at the receiving end of misogynistic assaults and disinformation propaganda. While these attacks often belittled her leadership and the work of her office, Robredo’s political track record shows a different picture than the one fabricated.
“Leni Robredo successfully transformed the Office of the Vice President (OVP) into an advocacy-driven department geared towards uplifting the lives of the Filipino population living in poverty. The flagship program of her office, Angat Buhay, mobilized resources from over 370 partner organizations which eventually helped to alleviate poverty of around 600,000 Filipino families nationwide.
“Under Robredo’s leadership, the OVP received the highest audit rating from the Commission on Audit (COA) for three consecutive years and was certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) after a successful audit of its quality management system.
“During the pandemic, even with a limited budget, Robredo launched various initiatives such as raising donations to purchase equipment for health workers and COVID-19 testing kits, offering free shuttles and dormitories for front liners, as well as providing meals to stranded individuals. Robredo received high regard from the masses for her hands-on projects which also led to an increase in the 2022 budget by the Senate for her office.”
A Dose Of Duterte’s Own Medicine
Indeed, Leni’s narrow road will be a difficult path – an uphill climb -- for Sara to follow. Strange to say, for what PRRD did to Leni, Sara’s difficult VP road today smacks of a dose of her father’s own medicine. In light of her present foggy political predicament stemming from her recent resignation, her taking Leni’s difficult road will be the only chance that will make a difference in Sara's 2028 presidential ambition.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
-- Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken
Like VP Leni then, does VP Sara have the right stuff to take such a difficult path?
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