Leni to Quezon supporters: Continue our fight for Bam, Kiko

LUCENA, Quezon —Former vice president Leni Robredo lent her star power to senatorial candidates Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan as they barnstormed this province on Thursday.

In a rally at the city convention center, Robredo appealed to the Quezon folk to give Aquino and Pangilinan the same support that made her dominate the votes in the province in her 2022 presidential bid.

“Hindi natapos ang laban natin noong 2022, dahil ang laban na ‘yun ay patuloy,” she said. 

(Our fight did not end in 2022, because the fight still continues.) 

“Ang aking pakiusap, sana kung ano ang insinakripisyo niyo nung laban natin nung 2022, ganoon pa rin sana yung handa nating ibigay ngayong 2025 for Kiko and Bam,” Robredo added. 

(I would like to ask everyone what you sacrificed in 2022, I hope you would do the same in 2025 for Kiko and Bam.) 

Tagged as one of the "Kakampink" provinces, in reference to Robredo's campaign hue in 2022, Quezon voters gave her 609,431 votes as against the 442,063 votes of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who eventually won.

“At ang hiling ko po, especially po sa mga kabataan dito, tayo po ang tumulay sa mga kababayan natin. Tayo po ang tumulay sa mga kababayan natin kahit magkakaiba ang pakiramdam, magkakaiba ang pananaw sa iba’t ibang mga bagay at ipaalala po natin, mas marami tayong pagkakaparehas, mas marami tayong pwedeng gawin para sa ating bayan at iisa ang watawat natin, tayong lahat ay Pilipino, at tayong lahat po maganda ang pangarap para sa ating bansa,” said Aquino. 

(And my request, especially to the youth here, is that we be the ones to help our countrymen. Let us be the ones to help our countrymen, even if they have different feelings and different perspectives on various things, and let us remind them that we have more in common, we can do more for our country, and our flag is one, we are all Filipinos, and we all have great dreams for our country.) 

Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros said that Aquino and Pangilinan would be a big help to her in the Senate come the 20th Congress. 

“Noong 2022, malaki ang impact ng ating pagsama-sama natin. Kaya sigurado ako na kung magsasama ulit tayo, ako, Senator Kiko, Senator Bam, at mga kababayan natin na mula grassroots, sectoral organizations at lahat ng antas ng pamumuhay, abot kamay natin ang tagumpay,” she said in a video message. 

(Our cooperation in 2022 had a huge impact. So I am sure that if we come together again, me, Senator Kiko, Senator Bam, our countrymen from grassroots, sectoral organizations, from all walks of life, we will be victorious.) 

“Ayaw naman natin maghalal ng mga red flags di ba? Kailangan natin ng totoong aksyon, hindi yung paulit-ulit lang na pangako. We deserve better. Bumenta na ang lumang modus, tama na ang panloloko nila. Dito tayo sa totoong unity,” Hontiveros added. 

(We don’t want to elect red flags, right? We need real action and not repetitive promises. We deserve better. Their old modus won’t work anymore, we should put an end to their lies. Let’s all vote for the real unity.) 

Aquino joined Robredo in the gathering, while Pangilinan, who was in MIsmais Oriental, was represented by his brother John Pangilinan.

Bam Aquino campaigns in Quezon province (Photo by Vince Angelo Ferreras)

Free college

Aquino said he wants an additional budget for free college education in the country after the P3 billion funding for the program was slashed under the 2025 General Appropriations Act. 

“Tatlong bilyong piso ang na-slash sa budget ng batas po natin, kaya ang isang pangako po natin, pagbalik po natin sa Senado, dadagdagan po natin ang pondo ng libreng kolehiyo, upang mas maraming kabataan ang pwedeng makinabang, at mas maraming nanay at tatay ang magagaanan ang kanilang sitwasyon,” said Aquino during a campaign rally in Lucena, Quezon. 

(P3 billion was slashed from the budget of our law, that’s why I promise when I get back to the Senate, we will add the funding for free college, so that more young people will benefit, and more parents will find relief.) 

Tje former senator was the author of the law that provides free tuition to all students enrolled in state universities and colleges, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act. It was signed into law by then president Rodrigo Duterte in 2017. 

But under the P6.352 trillion national budget for 2025, the bicameral conference committee removed the P3 billion funding for the program. 

"Accepted yan here in the Senate...Pagdating sa bicam tinanggal. So that's one of the things sa akin na medyo disappointing because magkakaroon tayo ng shortfall sa free higher education," said Senator Sherwin Gatchalian last December. 

(That was accepted here in the Senate...When it came to the bicam, it was removed. So that's one of the things that's a little disappointing to me because we're going to have a shortfall in free higher education.) 

If reelected, Aquino also said that he wants to expand the free higher education program by helping senior high school or college graduates find jobs. 

“At yung nais po nating idagdag sa libreng kolehiyo, ang tinatawag po naming ‘Siguradong Trabaho’, dahil hindi po sapat na libre lang ang kolehiyo, hindi po sapat kahit kailangan ng mga reporma sa edukasyon, kailangan po pag-graduate ng mga kabataan natin, Grade 12 man ‘yan o kolehiyo, kailangan po ng siguradong trabaho,” said Aquino. 

(In addition to free college education, we would push for ‘Siguradong Trabaho.’ It’s not enough that we only have free college education and reforms in our education system. It’s important that our youth, whether they are Grade 12 or college graduates, would surely land a job after graduating.) 

According to the results of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s  Labor Force Survey,  jobless persons, ages 15 and above, rose to 2.16 million in the first month of 2025.

This was higher compared to the 1.63 million unemployed individuals in December 2024.—LDF, GMA Integrated News

For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.