Vice President Leni Robredo visits Senator Antonio Trillanes at the Senate on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. George Calvelo, ABS CBN News/File
MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo's camp on Wednesday told former senator Antonio Trillanes IV that it was too early to talk about "giving way" to any potential candidate in the 2022 elections.
Robredo's office earlier Wednesday confirmed that the Vice President recently met, separately, with Senators Panfilo Lacson and Richard Gordon about exploring "unity" among various groups for next year's polls.
Trillanes said he hoped this was "not true."
"Pero kung totoo ito, pasensya na po pero the Magdalo Group would not join you and LP (Liberal Party) kung mag give way kayo para kay Sen. Lacson," he said on Twitter.
"May I remind you also na si Sen. Lacson ay isa sa nagtulak sa unjust imprisonment of your partymate, Sen. De lima."
(But if this is true, I apologize but the Magdalo Group will not join you and LP if you give way to Sen. Lacson. May I remind you also that Sen. Lacson was among those who pushed for the unjust imprisonment of your party-mate, Sen. De lima.)
In response, Robredo's spokesman Atty. Barry Gutierrez said it was "extremely premature to talk of 'giving way' when VP Leni has not yet made a definitive announcement regarding her candidacy for President."
"What she has said before stands: she remains open to running for President, and will announce her decision at the appropriate time," he said in a statement.
Trillanes in May said he was eyeing running for president in 2022 if Robredo would not pursue the candidacy.
As she still looks into other considerations, including her "viability," as candidate for president, Robredo pointed out one thing: The Philippines cannot last another 6 years of a Duterte-like administration.
"Mahirap 'yung padalos-dalos. Sabihin mo, 'Go, magkakandidato ako.' Tapos nagka-watak-watak lahat ... I've said it already before. We can't last another 6 years of this kind of governance," the Vice President told ANC last week.
(It's hard to rush things. You can easily say, 'I will be a candidate'. But everything will fall apart later... I've said it already before. We can't last another 6 years of this kind of governance.)
"Lalo na nasa gitna tayo ng pandemic (Especially we're in the middle of a pandemic). We've lost so much already," she added.
Leni Robredo, Antonio Trillanes, Ping Lacson, Dick Gordon, 2022 elections, Halalan 2022, politics