NAGA CITY—Amid clamor from her supporters for her to run for the Senate after a failed presidential bid in 2022, former Vice President Leni Robredo has opted to seek the mayoral seat of Naga City in May next year, saying she would be “better and more passionate” in heading a local government and getting involved in grassroots work.
Robredo, who is also a former congresswoman, filed her certificate of candidacy for mayor along with her slate on Oct. 5 after visiting the resting place of her husband, former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, and attending Mass at the Archbishop’s Palace.
As mayor, she said, “you are not just the manager of the city, community work is really the anchor of your job.”
Before embarking on a political career following the death of her husband, a two-term mayor of Naga who served in the Cabinet of President Benigno Aquino III, in a plane crash in 2012, Robredo, a human rights lawyer and economist, was involved in community work in her home-province of Camarines Sur.
Robredo, then a newbie politician, ran and won as representative in the third district of Camarines Sur in 2013. Thrust into the national spotlight in Congress, she narrowly won in the 2016 vice presidential race against Ferdinand Marcos Jr. whom she faced in a 2022 rematch that saw her defeat.
“I have been a congresswoman, I am sure that I will be better and more passionate about executive work in the local government,” Robredo told journalists outside the Comelec office in Naga after filing her certificate of candidacy.
“We want to show that politics is not bad,” she added.
Robredo also shrugged off comments that her mayoral run is in preparation for a second attempt at the presidency in 2028.
“I think it will be unfair for the city if I will just use my being a mayor as a jump-off point,” she told the press. “I think I will not be an effective mayor if I am thinking of 2028 already because then everything I do is [public relations].”
Team Naga
Robredo and her slate, dubbed “Team Naga,” will be running under the Liberal Party. On the day they filed their candidacies, all of them wore pink, her political color during the presidential campaign instead of yellow, the LP’s signature color.
An overwhelming favorite to win the local polls, Robredo will be facing four independent candidates—Luis Ortega, Restituto de Quiros, Leonida Abrazado and Diego Coner Sr.
The former Vice President’s running mate, outgoing Rep. Gabriel Bordado, has a long history working with the Robredos. He once served as speech writer of Jesse, who was Naga mayor from 1988 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2010, city administrator, secretary and public information officer.
This is not the first time Bordado is aiming for the position. For three terms, he became the city mayor—first under Jesse (2003 to 2010) and then under John Bongat (2010 to 2013).
“I was telling (Leni Robredo) that I will not run anymore. I said I’ve been in government service for too long,” Bordado told CoverStory.ph. “But she said that if I pass the process, that means that the people still want me.”
Team Naga candidates underwent a vetting process in which 2,000 Naga residents gave their nominations anonymously. They emerged as the “people’s choice” after they were evaluated based on ethical standards, governance, capacity and experience.
They were incumbent councilors Jessie Albeus, Gilda Gayle Abonal Gomez, Melvin Ramon Buenafe, Jose Perez, and Ghiel Rosales; returning councilor Miles Raquid-Arroyo; former city health officer Dr. Butch Borja; outgoing city administrator Elmer Baldemoro; outgoing city budget officer Frank Mendoza; and lawyer Areiz Macaraig.
People empowerment
“Naga is known for people empowerment. Over the years, the lesson is that it does not mean that you have set up a mechanism, you have to be complacent,” Robredo said. “Genuine people empowerment must be [continuous].”
She was referring to the city’s Empowerment Ordinance, an Edsa People Power-inspired program started during Jesse’s term that allows common folk to participate in the day-to-day goings on of the local government, including budgeting and planning.
Critics of the line-up, however, noted that it is still made up of city officials, some of whom were either accused of accepting “payola” from “jueteng” (illegal gambling) lords or involved in irregularities in bidding on city projects.
“Without any judgment, we gave the decision to the people,” Robredo said. “On my end, I am sure that even if there are issues for some, it will not be a hindrance to help the city.”
Robredo said that she currently does not have any power to say whether the allegations are true, but she gave her assurance that if she becomes mayor, it will be easy for her to really get into the details of the matter.
Each of the councilors picked for the slate committed themselves to be active participants in the investigation, she said.
‘Doing better’
Members of the Lakas ng Kababaihan ng Naga Federation, which was founded by Robredo herself more than three decades ago, were eagerly waiting for her arrival for hours. The candidates were accompanied by Robredo’s election lawyer Romulo Macalintal.
Teresita Avila, 72, the group’s coordinator in Cararayan village, told CoverStory.ph that although the current mayor, Nelson Legacion, was doing a good job, they hope Robredo will do better should she win and focus on health and sanitation issues.
“The present administration is doing everything it can to tackle those issues, but it doesn’t mean that it is already perfect. There is still more to be done,” Avila said.
Robredo said that before filing her COC, Team Naga have already made the rounds listening to residents talk about the issues most important to them.
“The problems are evolving, the issues are evolving,” Robredo said. “When my husband first ran, Naga had nothing then. The battle cry then was economic progress. Over the years, we attained that. So now, we want to ensure that the economic progress here is more inclusive.”
She said that they also want to ensure that the environment and social issues are monitored, and that the quality of life in Naga is not compromised.
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