MANILA — Malacañang on Tuesday sought to dampen early speculation over possible political alliances for the 2028 presidential elections, saying President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is focused on addressing pressing national concerns rather than electoral maneuvering.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro made the statement amid reports linking the administration to a possible 2028 electoral partnership involving former vice president Leni Robredo and former senator Manny Pacquiao.
Castro said she had not received any information confirming discussions about such a tandem, stressing that Marcos’ immediate priorities include preparations for the expected Super El Niño and the continuing repercussions of the conflict in the Middle East.
“Wala po kasing ibinibigay sa akin na anumang detalye patungkol sa tandem-tandem na iyon. Kasi ang tutok po ng Pangulo, unang-una, kailangan tugunan ang problema sa paparating na Super El Niño. Marami pa pong dapat tugunan, pati po itong mga isyu tungkol sa krisis sa Middle East,” Castro said in a Palace briefing.
She said the administration is concentrating on carrying out its responsibilities instead of laying the groundwork for the next presidential race.
“So, sa ngayon po ay hindi politika o pamumulitika ang iniisip ng administrasyon. So, trabaho lang po muna tayo, huwag puro eleksyon, eleksyon, aksiyon. Aksiyon muna,” she added.
Robredo and Pacquiao both ran for president in the 2022 elections, which Marcos won.
Speculation over possible alliances and political alignments for the 2028 elections has begun to surface more than two years before the presidential race.
Castro, however, maintained that she had no information confirming reports of an administration-backed Robredo-Pacquiao tandem and emphasized that the Palace’s immediate attention remains on governance and current national challenges./PN
