Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo answers questions from the media following the turnover of Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program funds to local government units. The event was held in Malacañang on November 5, 2026. (Photo by Luisa Cabato / INQUIRER.net)
LEGAZPI CITY — Former Vice President and current Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo should decide by January 2027 whether to run for president in 2028 to give herself enough time to prepare for the campaign.
This is what Naga City Vice Mayor Gaby Bordado said in a phone interview on Thursday (November 5).
Bordado said political experts knowledgeable about presidential and vice presidential candidates had advised Robredo to make an early announcement if she intended to run.
He said the experts, whose names he declined to disclose, noted that Robredo’s late declaration of candidacy was among the criticisms raised during the 2022 presidential elections.
Robredo earlier said she had no plans to seek the presidency in 2028 and will, instead, run for another term as Naga City mayor.
Asked whether he will support Robredo’s decision to give up her mayoral post to pursue the presidency, Bordado said Naga City still needed her leadership.
He believes Robredo is no longer inclined to seek the presidency, as she still has several programs to pursue and implement in the city.
However, Bordado said the Filipino people will be the ones most pleased if Robredo will eventually decide to seek the country’s highest elective post.
He also expressed support for her reelection as mayor, citing her performance and her ability to draw prominent personalities, organizations and foreign diplomats to Naga City.
“The visits of ambassadors from various countries reflect good governance and the city’s strict implementation of policies and programs,” he said.