VP Aspirant Cong. Leni Robredo Visits USC
Photo by Christine Suson
Camarines Sur Third District representative and Liberal Party vice presidential candidate Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo faced various civil groups and students during her visit to the University of San Carlos – Downtown Campus last Nov. 5, 2015. Her trip included a listening forum at the Gansewinkel Hall and an Alternative Lawyering and Participatory Governance Forum at the Wrocklage Yard with senatorial aspirants Francis Pangilinan and Cresente Paez.
Robredo met with various civil society groups in the morning to hear their concerns and how she plans to address them if elected vice president. From the 13 groups invited, seven were given the chance to share their points onstage: namely those concerned with the urban poor, LGBT, women’s rights, youth, BPO, farmers, and climate justice sectors. She then spoke on how she would deliver if elected, citing similar problems and the actions she took in Camarines Sur.
When asked about her voice on the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), Robredo replied, “Ang SK ay magiging behikulo para maging training grounds nang mga kabataan… at dapat turuan sila maging lider at hindi bilang isang pulitiko.”
Before lunchtime, she moved to the Wrocklage Yard to meet the students of USC and explain the differences between traditional and alternative lawyering, followed by the priorities a lawyer should address.
Robredo then proceeded onto participatory governance and the mechanisms behind it. In her discussion, she stated that governance with the crowd should be more direct. Additionally, she discussed that efficient solutions must be sought to the problems that regularly arise in this undertaking.
Constrained by her schedule, Robredo was unable to conduct an open forum and handed the remaining time to Sen. Pangilinan, who discussed the role of the youth in the society and how youth activism has triggered democratic and peaceful events in different countries.
Cong. Robredo expressed surprise at how she was warmly welcomed in Cebu as well as how well-attended her two forums in USC were. She left her attendees and supporters with a request to assist her in spreading her advocacies to a wider audience.
