Vice President Leni Robredo celebrated her 57th birthday on Saturday, with supporters packing the two-kilometer stretch of Macapagal Avenue from Gil Puyat Avenue to EDSA in Pasay City.
Organizers say the crowd was more than 412,000, and it was the presidential aspirant’s largest rally yet this campaign period.
Robredo thanked everyone in attendance, many who had waited since the morning to greet her.
The usual pink flags on the campaign trail were replaced by huge Philippine flags the audience proudly waved in the wind, and many of the performers onstage wore red, white, blue, and green, in addition to the campaign’s trademark pink.
Robredo, clad in a light silver top accented with a pink rose, had invited people of all political persuasions to join the celebration, as she said if she is elected president, she will be there for the whole country.
With 15 days left in the campaign period, Robredo called on her supporters to go house-to-house to combat lies and fake news.
Robredo also cited the presence of many artists including Vice Ganda, Gary Valenciano, Maricel Soriano, and the APO Hiking Society, who are all first-time attendees in this campaign period.
She said the presence of many famous artists and performers meant that they support her candidacy even if surveys show she is trailing the presidential race.
Robredo emphasized that real power is in the hands of ordinary citizens and not politicians. She urged supporters to join the fight for “change.”
Film actor John Arcilla, best known for his award-winning portrayal of the Filipino hero, Heneral Luna, channeled the general, calling on the nation to put the country first before themselves as he endorsed Robredo’s presidential bid.
Arcilla said that many people make their choices based on candidates’ looks or popularity, or because they feel a connection with them.
He said he, too, could easily vote for Robredo just because she is personable, and he feels he can relate to her because like him, she too has experienced profound loss. But he said all that is irrelevant because it is Robredo’s accomplishments that make her his choice for President.
Arcilla said everything Robredo does is for the good of the country. Still channeling Heneral Luna, Arcilla exhorted the audience to be more responsible citizens and to stand with honor.