By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. stressed that plans for the 2028 polls are not yet on his plate, as rumors of possibly forming an alliance with former vice president and now Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo were being floated to counter Vice President Sara Duterte’s presidential bid.
The President clarified his visit to Naga City on Saturday after the inspection of the Oplan Kontra Baha initiative was deemed “political,” especially days after Duterte announced her intent to run for president in the next elections.
“Alam mo, hindi namin pinag-uusapan ‘yun. I think the mayor will agree with me na ano, serbisyo muna bago politika,” he said in a media interview where he was seen standing beside his former rival.
“The most political thing that we did today, I wore my pink socks in honor of Mayor Leni,” Marcos Jr. added, referring to the color Robredo used in her 2022 presidential campaign.
He explained they have been planning his visit to Naga City for months, citing the need to personally assess the flooding problem in the city, which is among the areas frequently hit by storms.
“Marami pang kailangan gawin. Marami pa kaming kailangan gawin. So, we will get to that. Aabot din tayo doon (2028 elections),” he said.
“What we are here for is to try and find solutions to this very important problem, the very critical problem that we have not only here in Naga City but also in [Camarines Sur]. And for that matter, for the whole of Bicol. That’s what we are concentrating on,” he added.
When asked for a reaction to Duterte’s announcement, the President said: “Nothing really. That’s her choice.”
Malacañang on Friday called VP Duterte’s early announcement of her 2028 presidential bid as “irrelevant” to the administration’s current focus, which is to improve the economy, address pressing issues including flooding, and boost employment.
-jpv
