ON MY WATCH
By MANUEL L. CABALLERO
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT LENI ROBREDO; HER POLITICS AND HER MANNERS
Tomorrow, April 23, is the former Veep's birthday. I know her age. But, a man is not supposed to tell. I'm confident she will reveal it herself.
During the short period that she has been in politics, as a lawyer, as widow of a late cabinet member, as representative of her district in PH Congress, as Vice President of the Philippines, as a candidate for PH president, as Hauser speaker at Harvard Kennedy School, as a fellow of the Rockefeller Foundation and as invited speaker in various international associations, she has gained respect and admiration as an amazing and singular woman.
The Angat Buhay is her pet advocacy program that focuses on six key areas. Those are public education, rural development, food security and nutrition, women empowerment, universal healthcare, and housing and resettlement.
Her politics is plain, simple and honest. Politics, being her ability to make the other person do what, otherwise, he will not do.
I will sum up her politics from what she said publicly last year, "Kung walang kaaway sa loob (ng Pilipinas), wala ring kaaway sa labas ."
Her doctrine has been proven true many times. Just last week, the First Lady of the PH directly praised her good political manner by comparing her to VP Sara, who Mrs. Araneta-Marcos apparently believes is a lesser politician compared to Atty. Robredo.
I have met Mrs. Robredo five times in the past in my capacity as journalist, the last one was last year during the UPAAA Reunion in NJ. In all our meetings, I have developed a liking for her, short of having "crush". If you recall, I even wrote something about her pony tail.
Since she returned from Italy as a Rockefeller Foundation Fellow, she has gone to her Camarines Sur 5 or 6 times as guest speaker of various local groups. These visits make me think that she has local political plan in the 2025 elections.
Many Filipinos, including those who tirelessly react positively to her photos that I have been regularly posting in my Facebook Story for the past 2 years, are perhaps, hoping that one day, she will be granted the blessing of leading the native country which badly needs a leader of her caliber.
contributedmlc240422
