Over 20,000 pink-clad supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo on flocked Sunday to her People’s Proclamation Rally to support her presidential bid in Quezon City.
Robredo said she was taken aback to learn there were more than 20,000 people who showed up, citing she was only expecting 5,000 participants.
“If I am not mistaken, this is my third or fourth time to be at the QC Memorial Circle. But the crowd this morning is entirely different,” she said.
“This morning (Sunday), only 5,000 are anticipated to come. I told my team not to write down that there are expected 5,000 people since we might not be able to accommodate them. It would be okay to say that supporters have been invited but don’t come up with numbers as if nobody wants to listen to me,” she added.
But Quezon City government flagged Robredo’s camp and her supporters for violation of some health protocols when they stormed the Quezon Memorial Circle for her proclamation rally.
“Unfortunately, today’s ‘Pink Sunday’ event organized by supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Francis Pangilinan resulted in a spillover crowd that violated several restrictions that were mutually agreed upon. While crowd control is a highly complicated aspect of large gatherings, it is a test of discipline for the organizers and attendees to show that their chosen candidates observe the laws of the land,” its statement read.
The Kyusi 4 Leni Movement earlier made a forecast that about 20,000 supporters were coming in the event.
Reacting to Senator Imee Marcos pos on Robredo working 18 hours or even more a day, Robredo admitted “There are (sic) so many work to do. But the love that you have shown is enough to give us the strength every day we wake up in the morning, and to work more than 18 hours to work.”
“I know that many of you here even work longer than 18 hours every day. But we are doing this (campaign sortie) so that we could be able to talk to more people,” she added.
Even without the campaign, she said she was used to worked 18 hours a day despite less “power” given to her.
Marcos, in a video titled “Pagod Len Len” that went viral, said “anyone who claims to work 18 hours a day is either lying or stupid.”
The senator, the elder sister of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., drew flak over her comment.
Another presidential aspirant, labor rights activist Ka Leody de Guzman, also hit the older Marcos, saying reality check, there are Filipinos who actually worked 18 hours to be able to earn more.
On the QCMC rally, Robredo said: “While I was on my way home last night (Saturday), I got more nervous seeing that we were expected 20,000 people. Good that (my staff) did not follow my instruction. Because today (Sunday), there were over 20,000 people there,” Robredo said.
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and the senatorial candidates of the Vice President were also present during the proclamation rally.
