TEAM PILIPINAS’ MANIFESTO OF SUPPORT FOR VP LENI GERONA ROBREDO

At a time when the Hague ruling affirming our territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea is relegated to a piece of waste paper, we need a president that will fearlessly stand up to enforce that ruling and defend our territorial rights.

When suspected addicts and suspected terrorists are wantonly murdered based on some irresponsible public pronouncements, we need a president that will uphold human rights and put a premium on the lives of every Filipino.

When plunderers are either protected, released from prison, or hailed as heroes, and when graft and corruption are rampant and even institutionalized, we need a president that values and enforces transparency and accountability among government officials and seriously takes into consideration the findings of our state auditors in COA.

When the administration’s critics are either killed, jailed, removed from office, threatened, persecuted, or unceremoniously attacked by its paid trolls, we need a president that welcomes and encourages diverse and even dissenting opinions based on the belief that nobody has a monopoly on wisdom and excellent ideas.

When public speeches typically amount to nothing more than vindictive rants, sexist slurs, bloody threats, slanderous allegations, and malicious statements, we need a president that will think, act and speak like a true diplomat and will inspire hope, unity and pride among its constituents.

When Filipinos are losing their jobs, their homes, and their loved ones because of a global pandemic, we need a president that responds to the challenges with compassion, resoluteness, judiciousness, preparedness, and a sense of urgency.

When the contribution and efforts of our overworked yet underpaid medical frontliners and experts are belittled with insufficient support from the government, we need a president that listens to and systematically addresses all their concerns and acknowledges their invaluable role in our ongoing battle against the pandemic.

When our politicians are now occupied with political machinations in preparation for the elections next year, with no less than the president admitting that he is planning to cling on to power to circumvent the law and avoid accountability, we need a president that inspires its supporters to set their priorities straight — that bringing much-needed help to the people most affected by the lockdowns should take precedence over politicking.

Team Pilipinas (TP) believes that, particularly during this crucial time, it is paramount that we be governed, not by a tyrannical ruler, but by a servant leader whose heart throbs for our kababayans in the fringes. And for us, there is noone else that perfectly fits the bill than LENI GERONA ROBREDO.