Outgoing Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo recognized the efforts of the volunteers of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) in the last elections.
As reported by VeritasPH on Tuesday, Robredo said in a video message that the volunteers’ work played a key role in securing honest and orderly polls.
“To the PPCRV and the many volunteers and volunteer groups who gave their time and effort in conducting the unofficial parallel count, maraming, maraming salamat sa inyong lahat [many, many thanks to all of you],” she said.
Robredo added that despite the concerns of many citizens about the last elections, the PPCRV to an extent eased citizens’ concerns as volunteers guarded the votes of the people.
“Alam kong batid ninyo na marami sa ating mga kababayan ang nababahala pa rin sa naging pagdaraos ng huling halalan. Tiyak kong kahit paano ay mas napapanatag sila dahil alam nilang nariyan kayo bilang mga tagapangalaga ng ating boto [I know you are aware that many of our fellow citizens are still worried about the conduct of the last election. I am sure that they are somehow more relieved because they know that you are there as guardians of our votes],” she added.
Robredo also acknowledged the sacrifices of the volunteers despite not getting back any form of compensation.
“Saludo ako sa pagpili ninyong maglingkod bilang parte ng mekanismong nagtataguyod at pumoprotekta sa karapatan nating pumili ng pinuno. Hindi matatawaran ang kahandaan ninyong magpuyat at magpagod kahit hindi madali ang trabaho at walang materyal na kapalit ang inyong sakripisyo [I salute you for choosing to serve as part of the mechanism that promotes and protects our right to choose a leader. Nothing compares to your willingness to stay up late and work hard, even if your work is not easy and your work has no material reward],” Robredo said.
In a Facebook post on May 24, the PPCRV, the Church-based election watchdog, expressed its gratitude for the 500,000 volunteers and coordinators nationwide. It also thanked the University of Santo Tomas for allowing the use of the Quadricentennial Pavilion for the unofficial parallel count during the 2022 national and local elections.
Photo Credit: Facebook/VPLeniRobredoPH