Senator Erwin Tulfo has singled out Naga City Mayor and former Vice President Leni Robredo as his ideal candidate for the 2028 presidential race — even as he acknowledged she has repeatedly said she wants no part of it.
Appearing on DZMM Teleradyo on May 6, Tulfo was direct about where he stands on Robredo’s candidacy.
“And then talaga ‘yung perfect diyan eh si VP Leni, pero sinasabi niya nga, ayaw niya,” he said.
The senator also moved to put to rest any speculation that he or his brother, Senator Raffy Tulfo, were eyeing a run for higher office in 2028, saying the two have no such plans and that the field is far from short of qualified names.
Among the personalities Tulfo cited as viable contenders: Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Ombudsman Boying Remulla, Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros, Senator Bam Aquino, and former Senator Mar Roxas.
Tulfo recognized the public clamor already building around potential 2028 candidates but suggested that enthusiasm could settle as voters take a broader look at the range of available options.
Robredo, who currently serves as Naga City’s first female mayor after winning the 2025 local elections, has been firm about her position. She told a Naga radio station in late April that she is certain she will not seek a national post, adding that she still has much to accomplish in the city. She is widely expected to seek a second mayoral term instead.
Her poll numbers, however, continue to attract attention. A Pulse Asia survey conducted in late February showed her trailing Vice President Sara Duterte by only eight percentage points in a direct matchup — a significantly narrower gap than earlier polling had suggested.
