Sinabi ni Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo na sa kabila ng pagiging pangalawang pinakamataas na opisyal ng bansa, walang gaanong espasyo para makalikha ng mas malawak na pagbabago.

“Of course the reality is that even if I’m number two in the country, I don’t have a lot of elbowroom to really make a difference,” sabi ni Robredo sa isang televised interview. “But it’s something that I have to accept (and) and I’ve been telling everyone in the Office that we have to make do with what is there… despite the limitations I think we’re doing okay,” dagdag niya.

Pagkaraan ng pitong buwan simula nang maging VP siya, binanggit ni Robredo ang maraming paghamon na kinaharap niya at ng kanyang opisina. “It’s hard (to be VP)… I think there have been many changes already since after the inauguration,” sabi niya.

Bago pa man ginanap ang inauguration, nakahanda na si Robredo para sa anim na taong walang cabinet post. Bago nanumpa sa kanilang tungkulin, inihayag na ni Pangulong Duterte na hindi niya bibigyan ng anumang puwesto sa Gabinete ang VP.

Nakonsensyang holdaper, kusang sumuko sa pulisya; ginamit na kutsilyo at baril, laruan lang!

Gayunman, itinalaga si Robredo bilang chairman ng Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) noong Hulyo. “That’s what occupied my time… I was more in HUDCC than in the Office of the Vice President, considering that there were a lot of things that needed to be taken cared of as far as housing was concerned,” sabi niya.

Sinabi ni Robredo na, “(I) really fell in love with the work” nang umupo siya bilang HUDCC chair. “The challenges were really enormous but I felt that it was something that I could really make a difference in.”

Kaya nang magbitiw siya bilang HUDCC chairperson noong Disyembre, bumalik si Robredo sa OVP at itinuon ang kanyang mga gawain sa advocacy programs. Matatandaan na nagbitiw siya sa HUDCC nang pagsabihan siya ni Duterte na huwag nang dadalo sa Cabinet meetings.

Sa kabila ng mga paghamong kinakaharap ng kanyang opisina, sinabi ni Robredo na nananatiling positibo ang kanyang pananaw sa paghahatid ng pagbabago. “I am still very hopeful now despite the many difficulties… I’m still hopeful that things will be better,” sabi niya.

Samantala, nagpahayag ang kampo ni Leni kahapon, sa pamamagitan ng television interview sa kanyang abogadong si Atty. Romulo Macalintal, na kumpiyansa silang mananatili silang panalo pagkatapos ng lahat ng proseso ukol sa election case na isinampa ni dating senador Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.

“We are not afraid of this case,” ani Macalintal. “We are very confident that after all these processes, Vice President Robredo will still emerge as the winner.” (Merlina Hernando-Malipot)