Robredo: Pink is global color of activism

MANILA - Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday said she is running as an independent presidential candidate to show that she is open to forging alliances with other political parties, just as she admitted that the arena for the 2022 elections would be "different."

In a public briefing with her runningmate Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, Robredo clarified that she did not resign as the chairperson of the Liberal Party.

• Leni Robredo files COC for president, runs as independent

"Running for independent is our symbolic way of showing na bukas kami sa pakikipag-alyansa sa maraming mga partido, na 'yung aming isinusulong na inclusivity. 'Yung sinimulan namin na pakikipag-usap kahit hindi bahagi ng partido," Robredo explained during the briefing.

(This is a symbolic way to show that we are open to many political parties, that this is what we mean when we are pushing for inclusivity. We started talking to everyone.)

"'Yung pagkakandidato naman para sa pangulo ay hindi para sa partido, pero para sa pagkakaisang-lakas ng sambayanan," she added.

(The candidacy for being president is not about the party, it is always about uniting the Filipinos.)

Pangilinan, the president of Liberal Party, said they will mobilize for Robredo's campaign next year.

Robredo said that their slate would bear names that are "representative of many different parties."

• No more tiptoeing: Robredo declaration to boost her ratings - analysts
• Robredo says Hontiveros, De Lima, Trillanes, Diokno part of her 2022 slate

Robredo later in the day said the following personalities will be included in her Senate line-up:

• Sen. Leila de Lima
• Sen. Risa Hontiveros
• Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV
• Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno

WHY PINK?

Robredo said her camp chose pink as her campaign color as this is the color of activism worldwide.

They were not able to decide on a color at the onset because her decision was made in a rush, and pink was the color of their volunteers.

The color yellow, she noted, symbolizes the color when Filipinos toppled the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, whose namesake son, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr., is also gunning for the country's top post.

"Iba na yung laban. Ang nilalabanan natin ngayon ay mas malaki na kaysa dati. Ang nilalabanan natin ngayon ay hindi lang pagbalik ng anak ng diktador, ang nilalabanan natin ngayon ay masamang pamamahala... yung bulok na klase ng pulitika," according to Robredo.

(The fight is different. What we are fighting now is bigger than before. We are fighting against the presidential run of a dictator's son, the rotten government, and the rotten kind of politics.)

"Yung pink ngayon, siya yung lumalabas na global symbol of protest and activism. Again, global siya... since last year ito na yung simbolo."

(The color pink is a global symbol of protest. It is a global symbol.)

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Robredo on Thursday announced her presidential bid, vowing the need to bring decent governance back and properly address the crippling COVID-19 pandemic.

Robredo has received the backing of 1Sambayan, a broad coalition of about 3 million members. representing different sectors nationwide. 1Sambayanhas touted itself as the opposition coalition.

In 2016, Robredo clinched the vice-presidency in a tight race with Marcos, who had repeatedly challenged Robredo's victory.

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