Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed she canceled her planned courtesy call on former Vice President and now Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo during her visit to the city for the Peñafrancia Festival.
Speaking to reporters after attending the House Committee on Appropriations hearing for the proposed ₱902.895-million 2026 budget of the Office of the Vice President, Duterte said she decided against the meeting to spare Robredo from renewed political backlash.
“Kasi ganito ‘yun, noong nagkita kami ni Vice President (Leni) Robredo sa bahay niya (last year), alam n’yo, hindi naman odd ‘yun kasi binibisita ko talaga ‘yung mga former vice presidents. Nagko-courtesy call ako. Sinasabi ko ano ang nangyayari sa opisina, ano ang projects ngayon. At dahil doon, binanatan siya ng mga kasama niya, particularly (former) senator (Antonio) Trillanes IV,” Duterte said.
It can be recalled that Robredo drew flak, especially from former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, after Duterte visited her residence in Naga City last year.
“Hindi ko kasi gusto na nagaganon iyong isang former vice president, being a vice president. So for this visit sa Naga City, nagdesisyon ako na huwag na kami magkita para wala nang masabi ang mga tao kay former Vice President Leni Robredo,” Duterte added.
Ironically, back when she was still allied with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Duterte herself repeatedly criticized Robredo — at one point branding her as “fake VP,” a jab tied to Marcos’ failed election protest against Robredo over the 2016 vice-presidential race, which was later junked by the Supreme Court.