Leni Camp Embraces All Colors In ‘New Chapter’ Of Campaign As Isko Continues Attack

The unveiling of a new campaign logo less than a month before the elections was meant to signal a new chapter in the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo, according to her spokesperson Barry Gutierrez.

Speaking with “The Chiefs” over Cignal TV’s One News on Tuesday night, April 19, Gutierrez said the introduction of a new symbol was planned long before the Holy Week break.

“It’s intended to signal a new chapter in the campaign because obviously, early on, the campaign is a very partisan affair, you were trying to get people to your camp to support your candidate,” he said.

“But moving near to the elections we become more conscious of the idea that this is actually an exercise to pick a leader who will be the leader of the entire country,” he added.

From pink-colored rose, the new logo features the colors red, blue, white and yellow to symbolize the Philippine flag, as well as green, the campaign color of Robredo’s running mate Sen. Francis Pangilinan.

The new logo was unveiled on Easter Sunday, April 17, hours after rival Manila Mayor Isko Moreno – during a joint press conference with fellow presidential candidates Sen. Panfilo Lacson and former defense secretary Norberto Gonzales – called for Robredo to withdraw from the race.

Gutierrez said the new multi-color rose logo is intended to reflect that Robredo is prepared to be the president of the entire country if she wins in the upcoming elections.

“We just want to signal that VP Leni is actually prepared to take on that role and that she will discharge that role to the best of her abilities,” he stressed.

The new symbol echoes the usual message of Robredo during her campaign speeches, often stating that she intends to be a president of all Filipinos regardless of the color they wore during the campaign.

In a post on her Facebook page, Robredo’s campaign invited her supporters to wear any color that symbolize their dream during the activities on her birthday this Saturday, April 23.

According to the advisory, white symbolizes health, blue is for jobs, yellow is for education, red is for food and pink is for uplifting of one’s life.

Gutierrez said they expect their supporters to continue using pink, “but we wanted this to be a signal that we are now entering a different phase of the campaign where we should all be preparing for the aftermath, after the election when all attention when all eyes turn towards leadership and unification.”

During the interview, Robredo’s spokesperson said they will continue to intensify the different activities in the last few weeks of the campaign, including provincial trips, grand rallies and house-to-house campaigns.

“The plan is really just to remain focused and continue what we have been doing, which has allowed us to actually benefit from this surge in the VP’s numbers,” he said.

From Bataan and Zambales on Tuesday, Robredo, Pangilinan and their Senate slate campaigned in Negros Oriental and Siquijor on Tuesday.

They will return to Cebu on Thursday, April 21, and join activities in Metro Manila on Friday, April 22, and Saturday, where a grand rally is scheduled to be held in Pasay City in time with Robredo’s 57th birthday.

Isko continues attack

Meanwhile, Moreno doubled down on his attacks against Robredo as he dared her camp to show proof that they are not calling for the withdrawal of other candidates in the presidential race.

In a chance interview in Tagbilaran City, Bohol on Wednesday, April 20, Moreno challenged Robredo’s spokesman Barry Gutierrez and campaign manager former senator Bam Aquino to let the Vice President speak up on the issue.

“Now I issue this challenge, this is on record... I challenge the Honorable Vice President Leni Robredo to deny that you are calling us to withdraw, to belie my statement,” he said.

During Sunday’s press conference Moreno, Lacson and Gonzales accused the Robredo camp of calling on them to withdraw from the presidential derby.

Meanwhile, Moreno denied that he was being misogynistic in his criticisms of the Vice President during the Easter Sunday press conference at The Manila Peninsula Hotel.

The mayor was criticized on social media for his “kasi babae” comment, when he said that he could not confront Robredo during the presidential debates about his grudge toward her for fear of offending a woman.

“Real talk only. When was it an issue of gender? It is an issue of a person’s character, of leadership…I have no prejudice against women,” Moreno said in Filipino.

He accused Robredo’s camp of bullying as he called himself an ordinary Filipino standing up against bullies.

No call from VP camp for other candidates to withdraw

The camp of Robredo on Wednesday maintained that no one from their campaign has asked rivals to withdraw from the presidential race.

“To be very clear, there have been no active efforts on our end to actually talk to any candidate much less ask them to withdraw. Certainly, money was never on the table,” Robredo’s spokesperson Barry Gutierrez said in an interview with ANC.

“Even if you look at their statements on the supposed talks, only one name was mentioned – Mayor Jun Simon – and we've already clarified that Mayor Jun Simon does not speak for the campaign and is not authorized to actually speak for the campaign,” he added.

Gutierrez was referring to the former Quezon City mayor, whom Sen. Panfilo Lacson earlier claimed to have approached him and asked for him to withdraw in favor of Robredo.

“Whatever conversation he (Simon) was pursuing, that was purely his own initiative… that was his own call,” he added.

Moreno asked Gutierrez to stop speaking for Robredo, to which the Vice President’s spokesman responded only with “K” and a smiling emoticon. Moreno even insinuated that Robredo could not talk without a teleprompter.

During the ANC interview, he also noted that while they remain open to possible conversations on unity, the space has already narrowed down following the Easter Sunday press conference attended by Moreno, Lacson and defense secretary Norberto Gonzales.

“It seems very clear now, at least from the three gentlemen who attended the press conference last Sunday that they don’t seem to be inclined to further pursue any conversation about unity. So, for now, at least, in so far as they are concerned, I don't think they will be involved in any further conversations,” he said.

“On our end, we have been focusing on our own campaign since October. VP Leni has been very clear in saying that she feels that the tandem she formed with Sen. (Francis) Kiko Pangilinan is the tandem that we should be campaigning for and fighting for until the end. So, while we remain open to possible conversations on unity in the remaining 19 days until election day, it seems that the space for that has narrowed because of the events of Easter Sunday,” he added.

Gutierrez also pointed out that the efforts of the Vice President to talk to them and to try to get them all under one tent happened prior to her declaration to run last Oct. 7.