Vice President Sara Duterte visited former Vice President Leni Robredo in Naga City.
SARA-LENI – Vice President Sara Duterte visited former Vice President Leni Robredo at her residence in Naga City on Friday, September 20, 2024, while attending the Peñafrancia Festival.
According to Atty. Barry Gutierrez, Robredo’s former spokesperson, Robredo was informed about Duterte’s visit only a few minutes before the vice president arrived. Their meeting lasted about an hour and was described as “personal and not political.” Robredo later confirmed the encounter, stating that while Duterte was in Naga for the festival, she took the opportunity to visit her at home.
In a statement from the Office of the Vice President (OVP), it was clarified that Duterte had been invited by a friend from Bicol to attend the centennial anniversary mass of the Canonical Coronation of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, held on September 20. This same friend also facilitated the casual meeting between Duterte and Robredo.
The OVP further mentioned that during her stay in Naga, Duterte visited several prominent local personalities and attended mass alongside ordinary Bicolanos. The statement emphasized that she “neither looked desperate nor distressed.”
Meanwhile, the Liberal Party has confirmed that Robredo will run for the mayoral position of Naga in the 2025 elections. The casual visit comes amidst political discussions, but both parties have reiterated that the meeting was purely personal.
Sara Duterte and Leni Robredo were political rivals, stemming from Robredo’s frequent criticism of the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. Their rivalry intensified in the 2022 elections when Sara ran for vice president alongside Ferdinand Marcos Jr., while Robredo ran for president as the opposition’s candidate with her running mate, Kiko Pangilinan. Despite massive support, Robredo lost to Marcos, and Sara won the vice presidency.
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