Leni rules out presidential bid

MANILA, Philippines — Saying the matter has long been settled, Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo yesterday ruled out any potential bid for the presidency in 2028.

“It has been closed for a long time. There is nothing that could change (my mind),” Robredo, the former vice president, told RMN dwNX Naga.

“This is something that I had already decided even before I ran for mayor. I will not use my candidacy here as a stepping stone (for higher office),” she added.

Robredo, who ran for mayor in 2025 after losing the presidential race in 2022, reiterated her previous decision to end her career in politics in Naga City.

“Even if I eventually decide not to run for mayor, I will not return to national politics,” she added.

“The circumstances are very different from when I ran in 2016. Now that I understand the national and local politics, I feel like I’m more for local,” Robredo said.

She said that after self-assessment, she realized that she “lacked savviness to traverse national politics.”

“In national, you need to traverse the politics. You have to be a firm communicator. I am weak at that,” she added. “I’m not the type to deal with politicians. I’m suited to the local scene because matters here are more straightforward.”

Despite repeatedly stating her intention to remain in local politics, Robredo remains a leading figure among potential candidates for president in 2028.

Various surveys have explored a possible race between her and her successor, Vice President Sara Duterte, who already announced her intent to run for higher office.

While Duterte remains the most preferred candidate for president in 2028, a recent OCTA Research survey found that Robredo was able to narrow the gap to just seven points.

Some 40 percent said they would vote for Duterte in a hypothetical presidential matchup with Robredo, while 33 percent said they would support the latter.

Twenty-seven percent were undecided.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, Robredo’s former vice presidential running mate, pointed to former president Noynoy Aquino’s bid in 2010, when he initially declined calls to run for president, but eventually heeded public clamor.

“I believe that in 2028, the people will once again make the decision and prevail for the good of the country,” Pangilinan said. — Andrew Ronquillo