Newly sworn-in Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo wasted no time setting a firm tone for her administration, declaring the removal of confidential funds from the city budget and promising a sweeping crackdown on corruption.
Speaking in Bicolano during her inauguration on Monday, Robredo stressed the need to realign the city’s limited resources toward essential public services. “We will institutionalize a fair and merit-based Human Resources System. The budget will be spent on essential programs. [And] given our very limited resources, we need to make some sacrifices,” she said.
Among the first to go, she confirmed, will be confidential funds—commonly allocated without detailed public disclosure. “Primarily, we will remove confidential funds from our budget. So expect this to be gone,” Robredo declared, noting that the cutback would pave the way for greater efficiency and ensure that only truly dedicated public servants are rewarded.
Robredo also announced she will issue two executive orders to immediately implement a zero-tolerance policy on corruption. These include transparent procurement practices and the regularization of 107 long-time casual employees who have served for over a decade.
“We will purge corruption here in Naga. There will be no inflated prices, SOP, kickback or acceptance of gifts in exchange of favors,” she firmly stated.
The former vice president emphasized that her administration’s reforms are aimed at restoring public trust and fostering collaboration between government and citizens. “As we enter a new chapter, we are asked to remember that the progress we seek will only have meaning when it is felt across all spaces,” she added.
Robredo makes history as the city’s first female mayor, following in the footsteps of her late husband Jesse Robredo, who held the same post nearly four decades ago.
