October 17, 2024 | 2:34pm
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. crossed paths again with former Vice President Leni Robredo at the inauguration of the Sorsogon Sports Arena on Thursday, October 17.
The two election rivals were seen shaking hands alongside other public officials who welcomed the president as he arrived at the venue’s holding area in Barangay Balogo, Sorsogon City, on Thursday morning.
Former Senator Bam Aquino, who was standing beside Robredo, also greeted and shook hands with Marcos.
Robredo is in Sorsogon upon the invitation of Senate President Chiz Escudero, who gave the former vice president a tour of Sorsogon’s development projects, according to her post on Facebook.
“Thank you, Senate President Chiz Escudero, not only for inviting us to the Kasanggyahan Festival, but for personally giving me a tour of Sorsogon’s Development Projects,” Robredo said, adding: “Nakakainggit (I’m jealous)!!! Awesome example of what can be done in the LGU.”
Senate President Chiz Escudero, whose home province is Sorsogon, said he invited Robredo, a Bicol native, to welcome Marcos as a representative of the Bicol region.
He added that their presence at the event — an “odd trio” of former vice presidential candidates in the 2016 elections — could offer politicians a lesson on how to accept defeat.
“For me, it’s symbolic because we gathered at a sports arena… As they say in politics, we should remember the spirit of sportsmanship, following the rules and regulations, and graciously accepting whoever wins the medal, or in this case, the election,” Escudero said in mixed Filipino and English.
“I believe this is the first step toward healing any wounds or misunderstandings. Our debates were political, not personal. It’s easier to heal from that than from personal conflicts,” he added.
Marcos beat Robredo by a substantial lead in the 2022 presidential elections, where the former vice president finished second.
This is opposite to the outcome of the 2016 vice presidential polls, where Robredo narrowly beat Marcos by around 200,000 votes.
A month after the polls were held, Marcos in 2016 filed an electoral protest to challenge Robredo’s victory, claiming he lost due to alleged “massive cheating.”
However, nearly five years later, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously to dismiss Marcos’ petition.
In one of Robredo’s campaign stops in 2022, Escudero joined the then-vice president on stage but stopped short of openly endorsing her for the presidency.
