The push to bring Leni Robredo back into national politics got a high-profile voice on Wednesday, April 29, when actress Sharon Cuneta posted a direct public appeal on Instagram asking the Naga City mayor to reconsider her decision to sit out the 2028 presidential race.
Cuneta, wife of Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, addressed Robredo by name and framed her appeal around the opposition’s struggle to find a unifying figure. “You are the one who can unite these different parties,” she wrote, urging the former vice president not to close the door on a potential candidacy.
Robredo had told a Naga radio station on April 21 that she was certain she would no longer seek national office, signaling instead that she would pursue a second term as mayor — a statement that drew both disappointment and renewed pressure from supporters who believe she remains the opposition’s strongest option.
Cuneta’s post leaned into that sentiment, telling Robredo that the movement behind her has only grown. “Support is gathering for you more than ever. Just say the word, Ma’am,” she wrote. She also invoked the Kakampink base — both those who backed Robredo in 2022 and those who have since joined the fold — as still waiting for her return.
The appeal was not just personal. Cuneta said she and Pangilinan would throw their full support behind Robredo’s candidacy and suggested she consider pairing with a strong vice presidential running mate to widen the coalition’s reach. She also disclosed that their son Miguel intends to travel to Naga City to make the case to Robredo in person.
Pangilinan himself had already gone on record saying the opposition disagreed with Robredo’s decision, even as it respected her right to make it. He has maintained that she represents the best chance of mounting a credible challenge against Vice President Sara Duterte, who has declared her intention to run for president in 2028.
