Support for Leni counters National Unity Party’s endorsement of Marcos

MANILA—Dasmariñas City Mayor Jenny Austria-Barzaga and her husband, Cavite 4th district Representative, Pidi Barzaga, announced Saturday they are backing Vice President Leni Robredo's Malacañang bid in the May elections.

The announcement was made at a proclamation rally held by Team Dasma, a local political alliance.

Rep. Barzaga is also the president of the National Unity Party, which endorsed Robredo's rival, former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. last March 24.

• National Unity Party backs Marcos presidential bid

In Team Dasma's proclamation rally in Cavite, Dasmariñas Mayor Jenny Austria-Barzaga and Congressman Pidi Barzaga endorsed the presidential run of Vice President Leni Robredo in #Halalan2022.

Mayor Jenny also said, personally, she will support Sara Duterte for vice president. pic.twitter.com/pumbO5bJA5

— Kennedy Caacbay (@kennedyzcaacbay) March 26, 2022

Robredo has the qualifications to hold the Philippines' top office, Barzaga said, because she has experience working with the marginalized sector.

"That in order to be an effective president, kinakailangan na alam mo ang suliranin ng ating mga kababayan who are in the marginalized sector," he added.

(That in order to be an effective president, you need to know the problems of our countrymen from the marginalized sector.)

"I was privileged to work with Leni Robredo for a period of 3 years, from 2013 up to 2016. At nakita ko sa kaniya na alam niya ang suliranin ng mga mahihirap ... at alam niya kung ano ang mga solusyon na dapat ibigay kung siya ang mahalal na pangulo ng ating bansa," he added.

(I was privileged to work with Leni Robredo for a period of 3 years, from 2013 to 2016. And I saw that she knows the problem of the poor, and she knows the solutions in case she gets elected as president.)

The Barzaga patriarch, one of the lawmakers who voted against ABS-CBN's franchise renewal, is seeking to retain his congressional post against independent candidate Osmundo Calupad.

Mayor Barzaga is also running for reelection under his husband's political party and said they will help and campaign for Robredo in Cavite.

"Ang akin pong susuportahan, bilang presidente, ipapangampanya, tutulungan, ay walang iba kundi ang number one sa puso namin ni Pidi Barzaga, si Leni Robredo," she said.

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Mayor Jenny also said she is personally backing Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for vice president, expanding the list of local politicians rallying behind the "Ro-Sa" tandem.

• Campaign for Leni-Sara tandem in Halalan 2022 kicks off in Cagayan de Oro
• Salceda wants Robredo-Duterte tandem in Malacañang

The Barzaga matriarch is facing independent candidate Nelson Remulla for the city's top post.

Cavite is a vote-rich province with at least 2 million voters, according to the Commission on Elections.

Governor Jonvic Remulla and his brother, Cavite's 7th district representative Boying Remulla, both allies of Marcos, earlier made headlines for promising at least 800,000 votes for their presidential candidate from the province.

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