Four women leaders of indigenous tribes from Mindanao expressed their support for Vice President Leni Robredo’s presidential candidacy.

Their tribes offered a ritual praying for Robredo’s safety and protection including her campaign for the elections.

According to Teduray leader Jennevie Cornelio from Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) their communities are victims of the violent anti-insurgency of the current administration.

“Indigenous communities are victims of Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-insurgency campaigns and policies that have emboldened all forms of violence against indigenous women. We are not terrorists. We are carers of our land and natural resources. We hope to end the violence and demand justice. We cannot allow another leader that will instill violence in our communities. VP Leni’s bid for the presidency is a glimmer of hope among indigenous peoples and the marginalized sectors of society,” said Jennevie Cornelio, a Teduray indigenous woman leader in BARMM.

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She also said that the indigenous people like them are not terrorists, and that their support to Robredo’s presidential campaign hope to end the violence, achieve peace and demand justice as they cannot allow another leader that will instill violence in our communities.

Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo thanked her supporters for the gifts and love that she continues to receive during the campaign trail all over the country.

In a post on her social media page, the Vice President showed the gifts that she received from different pats of the country

“Gusto ko magpasalamat sa lahat ng binibigay ninyo habang nagmo-motorcade, habang meron tayong mga assembly. Sabi ko baliktad na ngayon. Dati ang kandidato ang nagbibigay sa supporters, ngayon supporters ang nagbibigay sa kandidato,” Robredo said.

(I want to say thank you for all of the gifts you gave me during motorcades and assemblies. It’s different now, before it was the candidate who gives to supporters, but now supporters are the one giving to candidates.)

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Robredo also shared a book which contains a collection of poems written by her supporters, which also featured one written by her late husband, former Interior Minister Jesse Robredo.

Vice presidential aspirant and Robredo tandem, Senator Kiko Pangilinan attended a multisectoral dialogue na pinanghunahan ng University of Pangasinan in Dagupan which discussed what he called an “education crisis” in the country.

“Yung ilan sa mga concern nila tulad ng online distance learning at ‘yung suporta doon yung Kalayaan laban sa kakulangan ng kalidad na edukasyon ‘yung ating Kalayaan laban sa COVID plan, 68 billion ang nakalaan diyan para sa gadgets, para sa online learning, para sa WiFi, ‘yung gastos sa load. So, meron ‘yan. Yung kanilang concern dito sa free education talagang dapat talaga palawigin dahil may krisis talaga sa ating edukasyon na lalong lumala dahil sa COVID,” Pangilinan said.

(Some of their concerns like online distance learning and a support for that is independence against lack of quality education. Our independence against COVID plan platform which aims to subsidize 68 million pesos for gadgets, online learning, Wifi and load allowance. So we have that. Their concern on free education, it should extend it [to more recipients] because there’s a crisis on our education which worsen due to COVID.)

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He also added that their platform of government on this issue should give all students importance through united government and social support.

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