In a surprising turn of events, former Vice President Leni Robredo endorsed the senate bids of former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and former Senator Manny Pacquiao.
Pacquiao and Abalos are both part of Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas, the ruling administration party of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Robredo’s bitter rival in the 2016 vice presidential and presidential elections.
Robredo endorsed Pacquiao after the former Senator who was also Robredo’s rival in the 2022 presidential race joined her in various house-to-house campaigns in Naga City, while Abalos was called by Robredo as “Senator”.
This current development did not sit well in some “Kakampinks”.
In social media, most of the Kakampinks expressed their respect for Robredo’s decision and her advocacy for good governance, but expressed their disgust over Abalos and Pacquiao.
Senatorial aspirant and labor rights lawyer Luke Espiritu criticized former Vice President Leni Robredo’s decision to support the senatorial bids of Alyansa bets, Benhur Abalos and Manny Pacquiao.
Espiritu said that the endorsement both Abalos and Pacquiao received are not “deserving”, adding that Robredo might forgot that most of her supporters are currently backing him.
Meanwhile, some political analysts believes that Robredo’s decision to endorse Abalos and Pacquiao is a “strategic move” for the Liberal Party to camp to seek silent support from the administration for the senate bids of former Senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan.
Aside from Abalos and Pacquiao, Robredo earlier endorsed former Senators Aquino and Pangilinan, former COA Commissioner Heidi Mendoza and Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Roberto Ballon.