VICE President Leni Robredo celebrated her 57th birthday on Saturday with hundreds of thousands of people, who jampacked her rally along Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City.
Robredo’s birthday rally, where the crowd was estimated by organizers to reach 412,000 people, filled the 2-kilometer stretch of Macapagal Avenue and was the biggest political assembly yet for the vice president since the start of the presidential campaign.
Robredo thanked the crowd, which included her friends and supporters, some of whom had been in the area hours before the start of the afternoon rally that dragged until the evening.
“Maraming salamat dahil marami po sa inyo nag-martsa papunta dito. Nag-bisikleta at nag-motor papunta dito. Nag-organisa ng mga watch parties, mga kaninang kanina pa nakatayo, mga wala pang hapunan. Kahit napaka-init, nandito pa din kayo,” Robredo said.
[Thank you so much because many of you marched here; who rode bicycles and motorcycles just to get here. Thank you to those who organized watch parties, those who had previously stood, those who had not yet had dinner. Even though it is very hot, you are still here.”Robredo’s pink color in her usual rallies was replaced by huge Philippine flags waved by participants in the rally.
The presidential candidate invited people of all political persuasions to join the celebrations, as she said she would be there for the whole country if she would be elected as the next president.
“‘Di ba ngayong gabi ang sabi po natin, hindi lang ito pagtitipon ng mga naka-pink, ang sabi po natin, pumunta dito kahit iba’t ibang kulay ‘yung suot, pumunta dito kahit hindi pa nakakapag-desisyon na sumama sa atin, pumunta dito kahit ayaw sa atin,” she said.
[We have said this night is not just a gathering of pink ones. We ask people to come here even if you’re wearing different colors; come here even if you haven’t decided to join us; and, go here even if you don’t favor us.”
In her message, the vice president again emphasized the importance of the upcoming presidential elections to the future of Filipinos and the country.
“Ang hinihiling ko po sa inyong lahat, buksan ang ating mga puso, habaan ang ating pasensya dahil ang eleksyon pong ito, hindi lang po ito simple na away naming mga kandidato. Ang eleksyon pong ito mas malaki pa kaysa sa aming lahat. Dahil ang eleksyon pong ito, pagdedesisyonan natin kung ano ‘yung magiging kinabukasan nating lahat, at ano ang mangyayari sa bansa natin,” she said.
[What I ask is for all of you to open your hearts; extend patience because this election is not just a simple fight between candidates. This election is even bigger than all of us. Because this is an election, we will decide what the future of all of us will be; and what will happen to our country.]She called on her supporters and volunteers to sustain their house-to-house campaign for her candidacy in order to bring her message of hope to voters around the country.
“Pag ito pong eleksyon na ito ang magpapanalo sa mga kandidato [ng] kasinungalingan, kawawa ‘yung bayan natin. Kaya po ‘yung hinihiling ko sa inyo, sabay-sabay po tayo sa laban na ito. Sa pag bukas po natin ng ating mga puso, sa pagpahaba natin ng ating mga pasensya, siguraduhin din nating pinapalitan natin ang mga kasinungalingan ng katotohanan,” Robredo said. [If this election will see candidates who lie, woe to our people. That’s why I’m asking you: let’s fight together in this battle. As we open our hearts, as we extend our patience, we also make sure that we replace the lies with the truth.]
“Bakit ba natin hinihikayat kayo mag-house to house? Dahil tingin po natin ito ‘yung pinakaepektibo na babasag sa mga kasinungalingan dahil tao sa tao, puso sa puso ang pag-uusap,” she added. [Why do we encourage you to go house to house? Because we think this is the most effective way to smash the lies because in person-to-person conversation, it is hearts that speak.]
The vice president also said: “Ang kapangyarihan pong tunay, wala sa kamay naming mga politiko pero nasa kamay ng ordinaryong mamamayang Pilipino.” [The real power is not in the hands of politicians but in the hands of the ordinary Filipino people.]