When President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Sorsogon to head the inauguration of the province’s sports arena, he had a welcoming committee that would have — and is still making — the heads of political junkies spin.
On board to welcome him in the Bicol province on Thursday, October 17, was no less than former vice president Leni Robredo, Marcos’ bitter rival twice over — in the 2016 vice presidential race and in the 2022 presidential elections.
Also present to welcome Marcos were at least two senatorial aspirants — Robredo’s former campaign manager and former senator Benigno Paolo “Bam” Aquino, and House Deputy Speaker Camille Villar.
Both Robredo and Bam wore pink — the former’s 2022 campaign color, and the latter’s 2025 senatorial run color. Villar, as one would expect, was in her clan’s trademark orange. Two other 2025 Senate bets, former Senate president Tito Sotto and reelectionist Lito Lapid, also attended the event.
Senate President Chiz Escudero, former governor of Sorsogon, told reporters that he invited Robredo “to welcome the President on behalf of Bicol.” Escudero, too, was a vice presidential candidate in the 2016 polls.
Before the October 17 event, Escudero played host to Robredo in Sorsogon — meeting her for both dinner and breakfast in his home. Robredo hails from, and is seeking the mayoralty post, in nearby Naga City in Camarines Sur.
In a short statement to media, Aquino called the encounter a “cordial interaction” with the President. Escudero would later tell reporters that Robredo was supposed to join the program proper, and be onstage with Marcos, Escudero, as well as other national and local officials. But she was apparently running late for an engagement in Naga, which is a three-hour drive away.
“In fact, hinintay lamang talaga niya na dumating si Pangulong Marcos bago siya tuluyang tumulak pabalik ng Naga (In fact, she really just waited for President Marcos to arrive before she went back home to Naga),” added the Senate president.
The exchange in Sorsogon was short and respectful — Marcos even made it a point to wipe down his wet hands before shaking the hands of Robredo and Aquino — so let’s unpack why it’s making heads spin.
A whole lot of history
Marcos and Robredo’s histories run deep, long before they first faced off in the 2016 vice presidential race.
Robredo considers the death of senator Benigno Aquino Jr., staunch critic of President Marcos’ dictator-father and namesake, as her “political awakening.” She has been an advocate for remembering the pains and suffering under the Martial Law years, amid a decades-long effort by the Marcos clan to rehabilitate their image. (Former senator Bam Aquino is the nephew and namesake of the democracy icon.)
In 2016, when she traveled to Marcos’ bailiwick Ilocos Region to campaign, Robredo told a roomful of students that while everyone may occupy Malacañang, that person should “recognize the mistakes of the past.”
Her surprise win in 2016, as the then-administration party’s “1% to vice president,” was a shock to the Marcos camp, which contested the electoral result. The Supreme Court eventually dismissed Marcos’ protest.
The two squared off again in 2022, but this time Marcos was the one with the administration advantage. Although he was not formally backed by former president Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos ran alongside the incumbent’s daughter, eventual Vice President Sara Duterte. (The Marcos-Duterte alliance has since all but crumbled, but that’s another story altogether.)
Robredo, with Aquino as campaign manager, mounted a campaign that inspired a “pink wave” of support. Still, the groundswell was not enough to counter the formidable coalition that backed the Marcos-Duterte tandem.
Speaking to reporters, Escudero downplayed any talk of “history” — whether it be the Marcos-Robredo history, or their shared history as 2016 vice presidential bets.
“Para sa akin, symbolic ‘yun dahil sa sports arena kami nagsama-sama, an odd trio, ‘di ba? At siguro magandang pagpulutan ng aral ng mga pulitiko ‘yung mga nangyari, na nangyari pa sa sports coliseum ng Sorsogon. Ika nga, sa karera ng pulitika, alalahanin natin ‘yung pagiging sportsman, ‘yung pagsunod sa rules and regulations, ‘yung pagtanggap nang maluwag kung sino ang magwawagi, mananalo ng medalya man, o sa kasong ito, sa halalan,” he said. It’s important to note that the Marcos camp had contested Robredo’s win until they could no longer.
(For me, it’s symbolic that we met at a sports arena, an odd trio at that. Perhaps politicians can learn something from today’s events that happened at the Sorsogon sports coliseum. As they say, in the race of politics, let’s remember the value of sportsmanship, to accept who will win or get the medal — or in this case, in the elections.)
At the same time, Escudero framed the quick exchange as the “first step towards the healing of wounds.”
“Ano mang debate o pagkakaiba natin ng pananaw ay pulitikal, hindi personal. So, mas madaling maghilom ‘yun. Mas madaling maayos siguro ‘yun kaysa personal,” said Escudero. (Whatever debate or difference we may have in views is political, not personal. So, it’s easier to heal those wounds.)
The last time Robredo and Marcos met face to face was in 2016, during the vice presidential debates. Marcos infamously skipped mainstream presidential debates in 2022, opting only to speak in limited media engagements or in a debate hosted by then pro-Marcos and Duterte network SMNI. – Rappler.com
