Metro Manila, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he did not talk about politics with Naga City Mayor and former Vice President Leni Robredo on Saturday, Feb. 21, as the two met for a joint inspection of flood control operations in his former political rival’s turf.
The simple activity at the city’s Sagop Creek, a major waterway closely monitored by the local government, has been surrounded with speculations of a brewing political alliance days after Vice President Sara Duterte’s early announcement of a presidential run in the 2028 elections.
Marcos denied that his joint inspection with Robredo was his answer to Duterte’s presidential bid, explaining that the engagement took months of planning.
When asked if he is open to forge an alliance with Robredo, Marcos quipped: “The most political thing that we did today, I wore my pink socks in honor of Mayor Leni.”
“We did not discuss [politics]. Serbisyo muna bago politika. Marami pa kaming kailangan gawin. We will get to that, aabot din tayo dun,” he told reporters.
[Translation: We did not discuss politics. It’s service before politics. We still have many things to do. We will get to that, we will reach that point.]
Robredo lost by a big margin to Marcos, the son and namesake of late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, in the 2022 presidential race.
After the defeat, Robredo went back to politics only on the local level, previously telling NewsWatch Plus that her skill sets are more aligned with the Naga mayor post.
On Friday, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro told a Palace briefing that Marcos’ endorsement to a possible Robredo candidacy was “untimely.”
Naga City is one of the pilot areas for Oplan Kontra Baha, the national government’s flood mitigation initiative, due to its high susceptibility to flooding within the Bicol River Basin and its history of severe flooding during typhoons.
The Marcos administration faces the flood control corruption scandal, which has linked several Cabinet officials, who have since left their positions, various lawmakers, and even the president himself.
Comment on Sara-Imee? Snubbed
Marcos ignored requests for comment on Duterte’s presidential bid during his visit to Naga City.
But when further pressed, he said: “Nothing really. That’s her choice.”
He did not react to the possibility of Sen. Imee Marcos, the president’s sister, as Duterte’s running mate, stressing he does want to discuss politics during the activity.
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While winning as the Uniteam, the alliance between Marcos and Duterte significantly deteriorated since 2024 over foreign policy issues, among other reasons, with reconciliation already out of the picture.
Senator Marcos is a known Duterte ally and has a deep rift with his brother, culminating in a public accusation last year that the president is using illegal drugs.
