MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. denied that his recent visit to Naga City carried any political undertones, stressing that the trip was driven by urgent flood mitigation concerns in typhoon-prone Bicol and not by electoral maneuvering.
Amid public speculation linking the visit to possible 2028 political realignments — especially given Naga mayor Leni Robredo’s stature as a former political rival — Marcos brushed aside insinuations of alliance-building and emphasized that governance, not politics, was on the agenda.
“The most political I did today was to wear my pink socks, in honor of Mayor Leni,” Marcos Jr. said in jest, referring to the color closely associated with Robredo’s political base.
He made it clear that no discussions about future elections or political alliances took place during the visit.
“Alam mo, hindi namin pinag-uusapan ‘yun. Alam mo, I think the mayor will agree with me na ano, serbisyo muna bago politika,” Marcos said.
The President underscored that the visit had been scheduled months before Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio announced her intention to seek the presidency in 2028, countering claims that the trip was a reaction to shifting political winds.
“No, we have been planning this for a few months already because talagang naging critical ito eh, especially with the storms that came in,” Marcos said.
“I already instructed Secretary Vince (Dizon of the Department of Public Works and High ways) and Secretary Ping (Aliling) to look at the situation here because, you know, we — of course, we know that Bicol is always the pathway of the storms,” he added.
During the visit, Marcos inspected key infrastructure sites, including the Jesse Robredo Coliseum, which doubles as a sports complex and evacuation center.
He handed Robredo a Special Allocation Release Order to fund its renovation, signaling national government support for local disaster preparedness facilities.
The President also toured flood control sites under the Oplan Kontra Baha Project, including Sagop Creek and Sitio Magaya-gaya Creek, as part of a broader push to strengthen flood defenses in a region frequently battered by severe weather disturbances.
For her part, Robredo echoed the President’s statement that the visit was strictly official and had been in the works long before recent political developments.
“Kasi ang pinunta naman dito ng Pangulo, ito. And bago pa pumutok ‘yung mga usapin, bago ‘yung announcement ni VP Sara, naka-set na ‘to,” Robredo said.
“In fact, marami na kaming mga pre-work na ginawa for this day. Kung natatandaan ko, ‘yung meeting namin na una, January 26 pa,” she added.
Both leaders maintained that the focus of the visit was disaster mitigation and infrastructure resilience, even as political observers continue to read between the lines of high-profile engagements ahead of the 2028 presidential race./PN
