Vice President Leni Robredo's belief is that the country's problems can be solved if people will unite instead of focusing on their differences.
Robredo made the statement following the announcement of her nomination as one of opposition coalition 1SAMBAYAN's choices for its candidate for president on Saturday, June 12.
In a video message, Robredo said she believed that the answer to the country's problems does not lie on only one person, but on each one of them.
"Iisang bayan pa rin tayo. At walang ibang makalulutas ng ating mga suliranin kundi ang nagkakaisang tayo (We are still one country. No one can resolve its problems but us as one)," she said.
She said the first step to resolving these problems was to recognize their root causes and not fight over them because this only divides the nation even more.
"Maraming pangangailangang 'di napupunan. Maraming pangarap na parang hindi matupad-tupad (Many needs are not being answered, many dreams are not fulfilled)," she said.
"Matagal nang frustrated ang Pilipino, at ginagamit ng iba ang frustration na ito para pagwatak-watakin tayo. Para idiin ang pagkakaiba natin, kaysa sa mga bagay na nagbibigkis sa atin (Filipinos have long been frustrated and this has been used to divide us. To insist on our differences instead of our similarities)," she added.
The Vice President pointed out that unity was the key to resolve the country's problems.
"Hindi lang sa pagbibigkis kasama ang mga taong tugma ang paniniwala sa atin, pero sa pagbubukas, pakikinig, at pag-unawa sa pinanggagalingan ng lahat— kabilang na ang mga taong salungat sa mga paniniwalang ito (It's not just to unite us with the people who share the same ideals as us but in opening to, listening, and understanding everyone including those who have different beliefs than us)," she said.
On Saturday, 1SAMBAYAN named Robredo as one of its choices for its candidate for president in the 2022 polls.
The other five persons included in the selection process for the president and vice president are:
- Sen. Grace Poe
- Deputy Speaker Vilma Santos-Recto
- Deputy Speaker Eddie Villanueva
- Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV
- Lawyer Chel Diokno
Robredo has been reiterating that she would prefer for the opposition to only have one candidate against the administration.