Marcos considers Robredo, local execs ‘allies’ regardless of politics

MANILA, Philippines — Despite being former political opponents, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. now considers former Vice President and incumbent Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo an ally, along with other more than a thousand local chief executives across the country.

Palace press officer Claire Castro on Wednesday again mentioned the name of Robredo in justifying the move of the Marcos administration to raise the proposed budget next year for the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) to a record-high LGSF of P58.32 billion under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

This amount was even higher than the P57.88-billion LGSF in the 2026 national budget, which was more than double the P23 billion LGSF in 2025.

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Castro cited how Robredo “showed the importance of the LGSF without engaging in divisive politics.”

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Asked if Marcos sees Robredo as an ally, Castro said: “In the president’s eyes, everyone is [an ally]. The president considers all the leaders of all towns and cities in the country to be his allies. That is why we should be all united.”

But she noted that Marcos changes his tune to those whom he sees as “obstructionists.”

“Anyone can criticize if it helps the president see more clearly what still needs to be done. But there are obstructionists who see nothing except opportunities to keep attacking,” Castro said.

“So whoever you are, whatever your political color, the president will not consider you an enemy. Everyone is an ally,” she added.

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READ: Leni Robredo rules out national run in 2028

In July, ahead of Marcos’ fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), Robredo, in an interview with journalists in Naga, called for the expansion of the LGSF, saying the program has made the national government’s assistance to local government units (LGUs).

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Based on the Department of Budget and Management data, Naga received P32 million in rice assistance under the LGSF for low-income families.

But budget watchdogs have flagged the ballooning LGSF under the Marcos administration, warning that the funds could become tools for political patronage for the upcoming 2028 presidential elections.

During the president’s visit to Naga in February, both Robredo and Marcos denied they talked about a possible alliance in the 2028 elections, following the early pronouncement of Vice President Sara Duterte to run for the presidency.

READ: Marcos-Robredo meet: ‘No politics,’ loaded optics

While her party mates in the Liberal Party were still trying to persuade her, Robredo again ruled out running for the presidency back in April.

Robredo and Senator Kiko Pangilinan ran in the 2022 elections for president and vice president. However, they were defeated by the “Uniteam” alliance of Marcos and Duterte, who won by landslide.

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After Duterte resigned as Education secretary in 2024, the political alliance has since broken up. Duterte has since become one of Marcos’ fiercest critics. /jpv