MANILA, Oct. 5 (PNA) – President Benigno Aquino III on Monday thanked Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo for ‘a greater sacrifice‘ by accepting the Liberal Party (LP’s) offer to be the running mate of administration presidential candidate Manuel ‘Mar’ Roxas II in the 2016 elections.
”Thank you, Leni and to your children. I and the party will do everything for you not to feel alone,” President Aquino told the widow of the late former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo during the LP event where Roxas-Robredo tandem was announced at the Club Filipino in San Juan.
”After a couple of years of struggling to regain normal lives, which was difficult because she had to serve, they are now being asked of a greater sacrifice,” he added.
Robredo was asked to run and won as House representative in the 2013 midterm elections, ten months after her husband, a Ramon Magsaysay awardee, died in a plane crash off waters of Masbate.
”They knew what kind of challenges they will face. They know how complicated the politics and how difficult to become successful in the campaign. But they chose the right thing to do. They proved again that they would prefer to suffer instead of letting go the opportunity to make changes in the lives of many Filipinos,” President Aquino said.
The President warned their opponents in politics not to make life difficult for Leni Robredo and her children.
It took several months before the LP leadership was able to convince Robredo to give in to the request to run for vice president.
Robredo became hesitant to accept the request, taking consideration on the welfare of her children – Aika, Tricia and Jillian due to the less time she would spend with them once she won the second highest position in the land.
President Aquino also thanked Roxas for sacrifices the latter’s made in 2009 when he gave up his ambition to run for president after clamor for Aquino to run blossomed following the death of former President Corazon Aquino.
”Mar, you don’t know how to trumpet your contributions. Let me mention that in 2009 Mar made a great sacrifice to keep the coalition whole and to ensure that the nearly a decade of abuse of the previous administration would come to an end,” the President said.
Robredo became the third vice presidential candidate from Bicol.
Earlier, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV from Albay and Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero from Sorsogon announced intention to run for vice president.
Senator Gregorio ‘Gringo’ Honasan II from Masbate is also being groomed by Vice President Jejomar Binay to be his running mate.
The President said they will announce on Friday the administration’s senatorial line-up. (PNA)