2022 ASEAN ELECTION: MANILA Philippines- Will Leni Robredo be Philippines’ third female president?

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Being the incumbent vice president (VP) could play either way for presidential candidate Leni Robredo.

On one hand, she’s had almost six years of experience being second-in-command and many years in politics.

On the other, she’s known to be at odds with incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte and his policies, earning her the wrath of Duterte’s supporters. She has become the biggest victim of disinformation campaigns among this year’s presidential candidates, according to a fact-checking initiative.

Arguably the most powerful opposition figure in the Philippines currently, Robredo, 56, has slammed several of Duterte’s key policies such as his bloody war on drugs and pro-China policies. Duterte has publicly attacked Robredo for her comments.

Robredo became VP after beating Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. – the late dictator’s son and namesake – by a slim margin in the 2016 election. Marcos later waged a four-year legal battle to unseat her, which came to naught when the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed the case in February.

On October 7, 2021, Robredo aimed to go a step further in her career by announcing that she is running for president in this year’s election. Curiously, she did so as an independent candidate despite being the chairperson of the Liberal Party. This, she said, was to show her openness to forming alliances with other political groups. But by doing so, she cannot leverage on the political machinery of the Liberty Party to her advantage.

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Political/professional career

Philippine Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo salutes after laying a wreath at the monument of the country’s national hero Dr. Jose. P. Rizal to commemorate the 122nd Anniversary of his death by firing squad at Manila’s Rizal Park Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018 in Manila, Philippines. The execution of Rizal by firing squad 122 years ago triggered the Philippine revolution against the Spanish colonizers. Robredo substituted for President Rodrigo Duterte who opted to commemorate at his hometown of Davao in southern Philippines Rizal’s martyrdom. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

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Following her husband’s death in 2012, Robredo entered politics in 2013 and won a congressional seat, representing her husband’s old constituency, the third district of Camarines Sur. Her husband died in a plane crash while serving in the administration of late President Benigno Aquino III.

During her term, Robredo prioritized participatory governance and transparency. She has authored or backed bills that sought to allow more citizen participation in decision and policy-making, and promoted transparency in the taxation process, among others.

As VP, she was appointed Housing Minister but later resigned after being told by Duterte not to attend Cabinet meetings.

Should Robredo win the presidency, she would be the third woman to lead the Philippines. The previous two women who became President were Corazon Aquino in 1986 and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2001.

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Candidate’s issues of focus

Philippine Vice-President Leni Robredo (R) watches as a volunteer medical worker (L) administers a dose of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine to a delivery worker during a vaccination drive for economic frontliners, organized by the vice president’s office and city government, in Manila on July 20, 2021. (Photo: TED ALJIBE/AFP via Getty Images)

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In her current campaign, Robredo has promised to usher in a government that cares for the people and not personal interests.

“If we truly want to liberate ourselves from this situation, we should change not just the surnames of those in power; the corruption, the incompetence, the lack of compassion must be replaced by competence and integrity in leadership,” said Robredo in a Reuters report in October last year.

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Personal and family background

Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo poses for a picture during her Inauguration ceremonies with her daughters Jessica Marie (L), Jillian Therese (2nd L) and Janine Patricia (R) at the Quezon City Reception House in Manila on June 30, 2016. Photo: NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Born in April 1965, Robredo is the eldest of three children born to a Naga City regional trial judge and an English professor. She studied law at the University of Nueva Caceres after graduating with a first degree in economics from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1986. She passed her bar exams in 1997.

A former public attorney, the mother of three girls is the widow of former interior secretary Jesse Robredo, who in 2000 won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service, widely regarded as Asia’s Nobel Prize.

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Yahoo Philippines

Presidential candidates’ profiles

• Manny Pacquiao aims to punch above his weight to become Philippine president
• Bongbong Marcos aims to leave behind family’s dark legacy and rise to the top
• ‘Super Cop’ Ping Lacson wants proper leadership for the Philippines
• Isko Moreno aims for biggest role as Philippine president
• Will Leni Robredo be Philippines’ third female president?

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• Doctor-turned-politician Willie Ong a curveball in vice president race
• Kiko Pangilinan takes risk as Leni Robredo’s running mate in 2022 elections