PBA legends, coaches declare support for Leni Robredo

Photo screen grabbed from Angat Buhay ang Lahat Facebook page

MANILA, Philippines—Basketball icons for Leni Robredo.

PBA legends Olsen Racela, Johnny Abarrientos and Jojo Lastimosa and coaches Yeng Guiao and Chot Reyes have endorsed Robredo in her presidential bid for the 2022 elections on May 9.

Guiao together with former PBA stalwarts turned coaches expressed their support for the incumbent Vice President in a video posted on Sunday.

“In basketball, you can’t be slow. You should act fast and stay alert,” said the NLEX coach in Filipino. “(We) need a leader who is always there and cannot be disintegrated by whatever fake news.”

“We are from different teams. But when it comes to the country, we are one,” he added.

Racela, who is currently coaching Far Eastern University in the UAAP, said track record is important.

“In basketball, you can’t be absent in training and games. You show up in the most difficult times,” said the former San Miguel Beermen. “A leader’s excellence and strength cannot be measured by gender but by his or her track record.”

Former Alaska teammates Abarrientos and Lastimosa encourage the Filipino people to stand with Robredo.

“We are encouraging you to stand up for Leni Robredo,” Abarrientos said.

Lastimosa added: “We are one for the country and we are one in choosing a president who can lift up our lives.”

On Tuesday, Gilas Pilipinas and TNT coach Reyes also endorsed Robredo on his Instagram, channeling the national team’s battlecry: ‘Laban Pilipinas! Puso!’ 

“The game is not yet over. We’re down to the last two minutes without a timeout so we need teamwork. Let’s help each other in taking pride in the whole world that we are Filipinos,” Reyes said in Filipino.