A former rival turned local executive drew praise from Malacañang after acknowledging that the public often overlooks the reach of government programs, with the Palace crediting her willingness to weigh the administration’s performance fairly.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro made the observation on July 27, the same day President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his fifth State of the Nation Address. She noted that Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo, who once stood against Marcos at the ballot box, has shown an openness to recognizing what the government has accomplished.
“Nakakatuwa po ‘yon. Dating hindi kaalyado ng Pangulo, naging ka-kompetensya pa sa eleksyon pero marunong tumingin, marunong mag-assess,” Castro said.
She added that Robredo’s approach reflected fairness rather than partisanship: “Hindi bulag, hindi nagbibingi-bingihan.”
Robredo, who lost the 2022 presidential race to Marcos, had said days earlier that a large segment of the public remains unaware of the projects the national government has carried out. She raised the point while discussing what she hoped the President would tackle in his penultimate annual address.
“Kasi I think, marami din ‘yung hindi nakakaalam na maraming ginagawa ng pamahalaan,” Robredo said.
The Naga City mayor said she was looking to hear both a clear accounting of completed work and the administration’s plans for the final stretch of Marcos’ term, which runs until 2028. She framed the two-year window as a chance for the government to show what it intends to deliver next.
Robredo pointed to her own city as one that has benefited from national programs, particularly housing initiatives and flood mitigation efforts backed through a more accessible Local Government Support Fund, as reported by ABS-CBN.
The exchange marks a further softening of ties between two figures whose 2022 contest was among the most closely fought in recent memory, with Marcos prevailing over Robredo in a rematch of their earlier 2016 vice presidential race, which she narrowly won.
