‘Closed’ chapter: Leni Robredo not running for president in 2028

LENI. Former vice president Leni Robredo endorses Francis 'Kiko' Pangilinan and Bam Aquino for the Senate in the 2025 national and local elections, during a kick-off rally in Dasmariñas, Cavite on February 11, 2025.

Angie de Silva/Rappler

Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo reiterates her April statement that she will only seek reelection as mayor in 2028

MANILA, Philippines – Saying she is not politically savvy enough for a national position, Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo on Monday, November 9, thumbed down a presidential bid in 2028.

In a radio interview on RMN DWNX Naga, Robredo sought to put an end to speculation about a possible 2028 bid, amid surveys showing her as the closest rival to the current top contender, Vice President Sara Duterte.

Robredo said that for her, a potential 2028 presidential run is “closed” and that nothing can change her mind.

The former vice president had said as much back in April, when she said that she would “not anymore” seek a second presidential run and that she would rather work on reelection as Naga mayor in 2028. (READ: Robredo rules out 2028 national bid, eyes Naga reelection)

Robredo was a distant second in the 2022 presidential elections with 15 million votes, against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 31.6 million.

After her 2022 loss, she focused on her Angat Buhay Foundation before returning to politics in 2025, this time to run for Naga mayor.

In her Monday interview, Robredo, who served as vice president during the Rodrigo Duterte administration, said that she knew that she would not withstand national politics and that she was still not well-versed in dealing with politicians.

Pre-election surveys on potential 2028 presidential contenders have consistently shown Robredo as the closest rival of Duterte, who declared her intention to run for president as early as February this year.

Duterte, however, will not be able to run for public office if she gets convicted by the Senate in her ongoing impeachment trial. A decision is expected in December. – Rappler.com