CV Stardom

Around 80,000 supporters of Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, 56, of Naga, Camarines Sur, Philippines and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, 58, of Metro Manila, Philippines attended an election rally in Pasig City, Metro Manila on March 20, 2022. A video of the crowd singing “Break Free” by Ariana Grande, 28, of Florida, United States has gone viral.

On the morning of March 21, 2022, Grande took to Instagram Story to repost the video. The Italian American singer and actress, who has 300 million Instagram followers, wrote, “I could not believe this was real, I love you more than words.”

The Philippines will hold its 17th direct presidential election on May 9, 2022. Robredo is one of the 10 presidential candidates while Pangilinan, her running mate, is one of the nine vice presidential candidates.

On February 18, 2022, Baguio City, Philippines mayor Benjamin Magalong, 61, on Friday, Feb. 18, formally endorsed Panfilo Lacson, 73, for president. Born Lacson and Lacson’s vice presidential running mate Vicente Sotto III, 73, are incumbent senators of the Philippines.

Robredo is the incumbent vice president of the Philippines. Pangilinan is also an incumbent senator of the country.

Ariana Grande

Amid the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Grande released her sixth studio album titled “Positions” on October 30, 2020. Among the featured artists of the album are Abel “the Weeknd” Makkonen Tesfaye, 32, Tyrone William “Ty Dolla Sign” Griffin Jr., 39, and Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, 26, also known as Doja Cat.

Featuring Anton “Zedd” Zaslavski, 32, “Break Free” was recorded in in California, USA and released on July 2, 2014. It was from Grande’s second studio album “My Everything“.

Grande was born in Boca Raton, Florida to Edward Buteera and Joan Grande. Fidel V. Ramos, 94, was the president of the Philippines when Ariana was born.

Leni Robredo

In 1986, Robredo earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila. In 1987, she and Jesse Robredo got married.

Leni earned her law degree from the University of Nueva Caceres in Naga in 1992 and passed the bar exams in 1997. On August 18, 2012, Jesse was killed when a light aircraft he was traveling in crashed off the coast of Masbate, Philippines.

From June 30, 2013 to June 30, 2016, Leni was a congresswoman representing the third district of Camarines Sur. On June 30, 2016, she became the 14th vice president of the Philippines.

Kiko Pangilinan

Pangilinan earned his bachelor’s degree in comparative literature from the University of the Philippines in Diliman. He earned his master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University‘s Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

On April 28, 1996, Pangilinan and Sharon Cuneta, 56, got married. They have four children including one adopted son and KC Concepcion, 36, Cuneta’s daughter from a previous relationship.

From June 30, 2001 to June 30, 2013, Pangilinan assumed office as a senator of the Philippines. On June 30, 2016, he assumed office again as a senator of the country.