MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo received a warm welcome at GenWe: Tambayan, a youth concert against charter change held at the Sagul Malingap Foodpark on Friday, July 13.
The music and spoken word event was the first opposition-led gathering the Vice President attended after she publicly said she would lead and unite the opposition on July 10.
Robredo is against the shift to federalism, calling charter change "untimely" following the rising prices of goods and recent spate of killings in the country.
Attendees cheered and clapped their hands upon Robredo's arrival at 7:48 pm. The opposition members even rang bells to show their "batingaw laban sa ngawngaw (bells against the noise)" of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Vice President Leni Robredo receives a warm welcome here at the GenWe: Tambayan event, the 1st opposition-led event she attended upon embracing her role as opposition leader pic.twitter.com/gVAZfjjO8h
— Mara Cepeda (@maracepeda) July 13, 2018
Key figures of the opposition movement were present, including Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Kaya Natin! lead convenor Harvey Keh, ex-solicitor general Florin Hilbay, and former Commission on Human Rights chairperson Etta Rosales.
Members of the Liberal Party, of which Robredo is chairperson, were present, including Aquino, Quezon City 3rd District Representative Jorge Banal, Quezon City 6th District Representative Jose Christopher Belmonte, and ex-Quezon 4th District representative Erin Tañada.
Former Akbayan representative Barry Gutierrez, Robredo's new spokesperson, PinoyAkoBlog writer Jover Laurio, and activist comedian Mae Paner attended GenWe as well.
Robredo's daughters, Aika and Tricia, briefly passed by the event, but left before their mother arrived.
Trillanes and Rosales told Rappler Robredo's acceptance of the opposition leader role is a "morale boost" for all people who are critical of President Rodrigo Duterte's administration.
The Vice President, however, did not grant any media interviews on Friday.
The event was organizaed by the Kaya Natin! Youth in partnership with other organizations.
Performers included Noel Cabangon, Shanne Dandan, I Belong to the Zoo, Banna Harbera, The Good Times, Romy Jorolan, and BAON Collective. – Rappler.com
