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MANILA – Vice President Leni Robredo’s survey ratings may improve following her declaration that she will run for President in the 2022 elections, two political science professors said Friday.

• 'Lalaban ako, lalaban tayo': Opposition leader Robredo announces presidential bid

In a September 6-11 Pulse Asia survey, Robredo placed sixth among 12 probable presidential candidates, gaining an 8 percent backing from the poll’s respondents.

• Pulse Asia: Duterte-Carpio tops bets for 2022 polls; Sotto overtakes Duterte for VP

“I guess definitely yesterday was kind [of a] major boost in her, all the doubts all the tiptoeing, and the dilly-dallying that were perceived to be a part of her being indecisive proved to be wrong, ‘no?” said University of the Philippines (UP) political science professor Jean Franco.

“And I think, it is going to be a good start for her in the runup to the 2022 elections,” she added.

Professor Edna Co, meanwhile, said she did not expect Robredo to come up in early surveys since she had not declared her intention to seek the presidency then.

“At the time when she has no statement that she has no declaration, that she showed hesitancy to run I expected that she’s not going to come rise up in the survey. Because if you’re a regular voter, I think we have to look at it from the point of view of a voter as well.”

“If I’m a voter I would say, well who’s available anyway? And even if I like X person, but doesn’t make herself present or available, I have to look elsewhere. And to explore other possibilities. I think that’s human nature.”

“And therefore when she declared yesterday, I think that personally, we will expect people to have stronger indication of support for someone who makes herself available,” she said on ANC’s “Rundown.”

Robredo on Thursday announced her bid for the presidency in next year's elections, which she cast as a fight for the country's survival.

In her speech, she cited the crucial need for decent leadership amid the pandemic, when Filipinos have been struggling to get the help they need.

"Ina akong nakikita ang pagdurusa ng minamahal kong bansa. Naniniwala akong ang pag-ibig hindi lang nasusukat sa pagtitiis kundi sa kahandaang lumaban, kahit gaano kahirap, para matapos na ang pagtitiis. Ang nagmamahal, kinakailangan ipaglaban ang minamahal," a firm Robredo said in a speech at her Quezon City office.

Franco said Robredo's speech was very powerful especially after she compared the nation to a family.

"She framed herself as a nanay (mother) who is fighting for the family, which is the nation, and all of us have mothers so I think that was a good start," she said.

Co, meanwhile, said Robredo laid to rest all questions about her decisiveness in yesterday’s speech.

• Leni ‘indecisive’? Pangilinan disagrees, says Robredo ‘weighing things’ ahead of ’22 polls

“Actually what was prevailing in my mind when she made her declaration was she solved the many questions that people were raising before yesterday.”

“And that was decisiveness. She overturned the many comments about her indecision, her tiptoeing, and yesterday in her speech she certainly was beyond a woman, beyond a mother. She was a leader to me.”

Co stressed, however, that Robredo’s camp needs to “sustain the energy” that was shown yesterday. The vice-president topped Twitter trends after the announcement of her 2022 run.

• Robredo trends on Twitter after presidential run announcement

“I think there was some kind of a semi-euphoria yesterday. You felt it in the air, it was all over social media, and the number was really outstanding, of those who were jubilant about the declaration of VP Leni,” she said.

“But in the coming days, things will have to unfold and we’ll see how things go. Again it is important how VP Leni and the campaign team would some sort of very smartly sustain the energy that was manifested yesterday.”

• It’s now harder to unite opposition behind VP Robredo: analyst

Aside from Robredo, senators Manny Pacquiao, Panfilo Lacson, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, and defeated vice-presidential bet Bongbong Marcos are also running for president.

Running for vice president, meanwhile, are Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, cardiologist Willie Ong, and senators Christopher “Bong” Go, and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.

Pangilinan is Robredo’s running-mate for the 2022 polls.

--ANC, 8 October 2021