Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo has drawn a clear line under her national political career โ and she wants her supporters to stop expecting her to change her mind.
In an interview with Asintado News, the former vice president said her decision to step away from national politics has long been made, pointing a finger back at those still pushing her to reconsider.
“๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐น ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ป. ๐๐ฎ๐๐ผ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ธ๐ผโฆ ๐๐ถ๐๐ผ ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ผ [๐๐ฎ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ] ๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ-๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ,” she said.
Rather than leave a vacuum, Robredo directed attention to Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte as figures she regards as ready to lead at the national level. Both mayors have established reputations for governance-focused, anti-corruption politics โ and both are among the convenors of the Mayors for Good Governance movement, a network Robredo herself joined after winning the Naga mayoralty in 2025.
The pivot to local figures reflects a broader argument Robredo has been making: that Filipinos need to shed what she described as a “savior” mentality โ the tendency to rely on a single prominent personality rather than building a wider bench of credible leaders.
Robredo was candid about what she sees as her own limitations at the national level, distinguishing between the skills required for local and national office.
“Marami akong hindi alam, pero masipag ako. Puwede sa local, pero sa national, marami talaga akong hindi kayang gawin. Mahina talaga akong makipag-navigate sa politika. Kaya sa tingin ko, mas bagay ako sa local,” she said.
She also said that the pressures that came with national office are absent from her current role as a local chief executive โ a contrast she appears to welcome.
Despite stepping back from electoral contention, Robredo made clear she has no intention of sitting out the 2028 campaign entirely. She said she will actively stump for whoever the opposition fields as its standard-bearer in the next national elections.
In Bicol, she was unambiguous about where she intends to spend the rest of her political life.
“Haluyon na ako nakadesisyon. Kamo man sana an dae nag-aako kan desisyon koโฆ digdi na ako ma-retire,” she said.
