ASEANEWS HEADLINE-2028 PH NATIONAL ELECTION | MANILA: Marcos, Robredo set to meet in Naga
President Marcos is welcomed yesterday by students of Minuyan Elementary School in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, where the Yaman ng Health Program and DepEd’s Kalinga Caravan are being implemented/ STAR / File
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WATCH VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBMdWSD8Gms
Marcos, Robredo to meet in Naga City | ANC
Headstart: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to visit Naga City to inspect ongoing flood control projects and meet with former rival Leni Robredo. The visit comes amid Vice President Sara Duterte’s early declaration of her intention to run in the 2028 presidential elections. WATCH VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBMdWSD8Gms
MANILA, Philippines — Will President Marcos and his former political rival Leni Robredo bury the hatchet to counter a common opponent?
Speculations mounted that the Marcos administration and the Robredo camp may forge an alliance for the 2028 elections after Malacañang revealed that the President would visit Naga City on Saturday to discuss flood control projects with local officials.
Robredo, who defeated Marcos in the vice presidential race in 2016 but lost in their rematch during the presidential elections six years later, is now the mayor of Naga City.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said Marcos would oversee the implementation of the flood mitigation project Oplan Kontra Baha in Naga City this weekend.
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officer said at a press briefing yesterday.
Asked if Marcos and Robredo would have conversations outside the flood control project, Castro replied: “Iyan ang abangan ninyo (That’s what you have to watch out for).”
“That’s the only information provided, since the President has started the Oplan Kontra Baha and one of the areas he wants to focus on is Naga City. As to the other topics they will discuss, let’s watch out for it,” Castro said.
Castro confirmed Marcos’ visit to Naga City a day after Vice President Sara Duterte, a former close ally-turned-arch critic of the administration, announced her plan to seek the presidency in 2028.
Some analysts claim that an alliance between the erstwhile feuding forces supporting Marcos and Robredo is the key to beating Duterte, who continues to enjoy high trust and satisfaction ratings despite efforts to impeach her.
Duterte, who ran alongside Marcos under the now defunct UniTeam coalition in 2022, has been accused of seeking to assassinate Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and former House speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and failing to properly account for the confidential funds allocated to her office, among other allegations.
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She stepped down as education secretary and vice chair of the government’s anti-insurgency task force in June 2024 following the souring of the relationship between her family and the Marcoses.
As she announced her intention to run for president last Wednesday, Duterte apologized to voters for helping Marcos win and urged them to bring back courage and concern in government. Malacañang wished her luck, but maintained that she has to apologize for the procurement issues during her stint as education secretary, “fake news” and the alleged extrajudicial killings committed during the time of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.
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Castro said it is too early to talk about politics when asked about the possible political alliances for the 2028 polls.
Among the potential partnerships being floated are that of the Vice President and Marcos’ sister Sen. Imee Marcos and that of Robredo and Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
“There are no discussions on campaigns or candidates for 2028. It’s not yet the time for that. It is too early to announce that you will run or you will not run. It is too early for politics,” Castro said.
“We have a lot of things to fix in our country.”
The Palace press officer also gave assurance that Duterte’s plan to seek the presidency would not affect the work of Marcos, who she said is focused on growing the economy.
“The announcement that she (Duterte) will run is not shocking because even before, her campaigning is already felt,” Castro added.
Running mates
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Sen. Bam Aquino yesterday denied he will be the running mate of Vice President Sara Duterte in 2028.
Aquino posted a short statement on Facebook to call out an Abante News story hinting that a Duterte-Aquino is in the works
Aquino was elected to the Senate in 2025. He has a six-year term and is eligible for reelection.
Rumors of a Duterte-Aquino tandem swirled after Aquino in a television interview said murder as a crime against humanity trial of former president Rodrigo Duterte should “ideally” happen in Philippine soil.
He clarified that he respected the International Criminal Court proceedings against Duterte.
In a separate ambush interview, Sen. Erwin Tulfo denied he would make a good running mate of former vice president Leni Robredo should the Naga City mayor again attempt to seek the presidency, this time against Duterte in 2028.
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Tulfo pointed to his colleagues Aquino and Sen. Risa Hontiveros as more qualified running mates for Robredo.
Tulfo also was elected to the Senate last year. – Marc Jayson Cayabyab
February 20, 2026
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