Actress Maria Isabel Lopez on Monday, April 25, stressed the importance of having the incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo win the upcoming May election.
In an interview with ABS-CBN, Lopez stated that Filipinos must elect the most deserving candidate.
“It’s a very historic time in the life of a Filipino. We have to make a choice to a President who will either plunge the country deeper into turmoil or move it forward to genuine change,” she stated.
The former beauty queen added, “So that’s why I’m here it’s because I enjoined the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos here in the United States who advocate for change.”
The 64-year-old actress then shared that she witnessed Martial Law and the shut down of ABS-CBN, both during Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and with the current Duterte Administration.
“And besides, I was a Martial Law baby, and I have seen the closure of ABS-CBN not once but twice, during the Marcos era and in the current administration.”
She does not want another Marcos to be in power once again.
“I cannot imagine the Marcoses back in power again. Because I was a witness of how it was during Martial Law.”
As for why Robredo is her President, Lopez pointed out that she embodies the leader of the masses.
“Besides, we need a President that will embody the aspirations of our kababayans; somebody who understands the ply of the workers and of the poor; somebody who knows how to ride the tricycle, how to walk to school, how to wear clothes from ukay-ukay; somebody who has experience how it is where electrical power was shut off because you don’t know where to get money to pay your bills.”
She added, “So I’m here to fight for my country because I love a President who is God-fearing, who loves the country, who is not a trapo, a traditional politician, and who loves the Filipino people.”
“It can be peaceful that our fishermen can fish peacefully in the West Philippine Sea, the farmers can sell their goods and not compete against Chinese smugglers.
“We need a President who will not cater to the whims and the oligarchs but will cater to and fight for the Filipino people; we need a champion of the poor, the workers, the homeless, and the sick; we need Leni Robredo.”
Why Leni Robredo?
According to the actress, the next Philippine President should stand against the country’s oppressors.
Robredo stressed that the Philippines deserves the West Philippine Sea (WPS) because of the arbitral ruling from The Hague.
“Mahirap makabuo ng code of conduct dahil may mga bansa talagang kabahagi na innate na ‘yong pagtutol sa pagkakaroon nito. Pero sa aking palagay…‘yung Pilipinas ‘yung dapat talaga mamuno nito dahil tayo ‘yung may arbitral ruling.
“Kailangan ni-le-leverage natin ‘yung arbitral ruling na ‘yun para kumbinsihin ‘yung mga kasa-kasama natin sa ASEAN na patuloy na ipaglaban ito,” she said during the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) presidential debates on April 13.
She has also called for a coalition of nations against China’s militarization of the sea.
During her time as Vice President, Robredo launched various programs to help the poor. Together with her Office of the Vice President (OVP), she launched the Angat Buhay program, which focuses on public education, rural development, food security and nutrition, women empowerment, universal healthcare, and housing and resettlement.
Meanwhile, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr wants to befriend China.
“That arbitration is no longer an arbitration if there’s only one party. So, it’s no longer available to us,” he said during an interview with Boy Abunda earlier on January 25.
He will also not seek the help of the United States.
“No [I will not ask US for help]. The problem is between China and us. If the Americans come in, it’s bound to fail because you are putting the two protagonists together,” Marcos told Abunda.
In a separate interview, Marcos also preferred to have the West Philippine Sea be shared with China.
“Siguro naman we can come to an agreement, that, as a matter of fact, dahil kaibigan ko naman ang mga nasa Chinese embassy, nag uusap na kami tungkol dyan,” he expressed during a DZRH presidential interview.
However, the Philippine Constitution already allowed Filipinos to fish in the disputed waters. The state has the duty to protect and preserve the country’s marine wealth in its exclusive economic zone “exclusively to Filipino citizens.”
“Diplomacy” is his solution to solving the tension between the two countries.
“We should gear our military, as you say, to civil defense, and internal threats. And I think diplomacy is what we will use to mitigate or to lessen external threats.”
