Malacañang held up Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo on Tuesday as the kind of official who credits government work instead of tearing it down for personal gain.
The contrast came during the June 23 press briefing, where Palace Press Officer and PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro drew a line between Robredo and officials she said attack the administration while ignoring what it has delivered.
Castro recalled how Robredo had cooperated with national agencies on local projects, citing the former vice president’s recent inspection of infrastructure works in Naga City together with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and National Electrification Administration Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda. She framed the joint activity as proof that local and national officials can work in tandem.
The Palace pointed as well to Robredo’s praise for the administration’s housing push, noting that she had acknowledged the aggressive rollout of housing projects and the proper handling of housing funds. Castro added that Robredo commended Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Ramon “Ping” Aliling, calling him hardworking and humble in pursuing the housing agenda.
“Ang totoong lingkod-bayan ay hindi bulag sa mga ginagawang trabaho at programa ng gobyerno. Hindi naninira para sa pansariling pag-angat at hindi ginagawang katatawanan ang kalusugan, buhay o kamatayan ng isang tao,” Castro said.
She summed up her point plainly: “Walang hatakan pababa o siraan kung hindi puspusang trabaho lang para sa bayan.”
The praise for Robredo stood against Castro’s sharper words for Vice President Sara Duterte earlier in the same briefing. The Palace official faulted Duterte for remarks made during a visit to earthquake victims in Sarangani and for tying the recent Tacloban school shooting to what the vice president called lapses in government intelligence gathering. Castro said Duterte was raising complaints without offering fixes, and argued she should put forward recommendations rather than dwell on perceived failures.
Robredo, who lost to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the 2022 presidential race, has in recent months partnered with several national agencies on housing, infrastructure, flood control, and development work across Naga City.
