ALMOST 250 Filipino students, alumni and researchers from different universities in the United Kingdom signed a statement that expressed support for the presidential and vice presidential bid of Vice President Maria Leonor ‘Leni’ Robredo and Senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan.

The signatories came from over 60 universities across the United Kingdom including the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, London School of Economics and Political Science, University College London, Imperial College London, King’s College London, Queen Mary University London and the University of Edinburgh.

“The past six years have left us rudderless, with a flailing economy and crippling debt. The goodness of the Filipino people has only been reciprocated by militaristic responses to crises, the silencing of critique, the distortion of history, fake news and the use of trolls, anti-people and anti-poor policies, and abusive attacks on people’s basic and inalienable rights,” the statement read.

The group said that the country needs leaders who “recognize the challenges of the future, and who will respond by strengthening our education, research and development, to enable our country to respond swiftly and successfully to future crises.”

“We are convinced that this is the kind of government that Leni and Kiko will lead. Both VP Leni and Senator Kiko have shown their strength of character and leadership. VP Leni’s lifelong work has demonstrated that her heart is with the Filipinos who struggle the most…Senator Kiko has shown his lifelong commitment to the welfare of our farmers and fisherfolk. Both of them have a stellar record of service to the Filipino people,” it added.

“Leni and Kiko have a proven history of resisting oligarchic politics and listening to the needs of Filipinos, especially those who are rarely heard. They have high standards of integrity, having shared data on the state of their personal wealth and the projects and programs of their offices, and respecting the Filipino people by participating in debates and engaging with critics,” Sharmila Pramanand, a postdoctoral Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said.

Meanwhile, Michael Pastor, an MPhil student in Multidisciplinary Gender Studies at the University of Cambridge and concurrently Assistant Professorial Lecturer at De La Salle College of St. Benilde, said that he believes that the tandem are champions of gender equality.

“As a Filipino gay man and gender specialist, I strongly believe that Leni and Kiko are champions of gender equality. Their brand of leadership can make the clamor of the LGBTQIA+ community for respect, acceptance, and non-discrimination a reality in the Philippines,” Pastor said.

Other signatories include UCL graduate Fr. Roberto Yap SJ, current president of the Ateneo de Manila University; Cambridge alumni Mahar Lagmay, executive director of the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute; Jose Wendell Capili, assistant vice president for Public Affairs at the University of the Philippines; Dr. Cristina Martinez-Juan, executive officer of Philippine Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies; and Pio Abad, lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London.