VP Sara Duterte visited Leni Robredo in Naga, Gutierrez confirms

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte visited her predecessor Leni Robredo in Naga City, Camarines Sur, as the city was celebrating the Peñafrancia Festival on Friday.

Robredo’s former spokesperson Barry Gutierrez confirmed this in a message to reporters, sending a statement from Robredo herself.

“While she was in Naga City for the Peñafrancia Festival, VP Sara Duterte took the opportunity to visit me at my home. The conversation we had was personal and not political,” Robredo said.

Earlier, several news outfits reported seeing Duterte at the Bicol International Airport on Friday morning.

Robredo and Duterte have been on opposing ends of the political spectrum, with Robredo running for president under the Angat Buhay lineup in the 2022 national elections, while Duterte was the running mate of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. under the Uniteam banner.

READ: VP Duterte: No idea why Robredo didn’t request for fair budget

However, the two vice presidents have been known to be friends even before 2016.

In December 2015, Robredo said she hoped politics would not ruin their relationship and ran for vice president in 2016 with presidential bet Mar Roxas, who ran against Sara’s father, the eventual winner and former President Rodrigo Duterte.

“I hope politics will not ruin our friendship,” Robredo said after visiting then-Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

READ: Leni and Sara Duterte: Friendship beyond politics

“Magkaibigan kami (We’re friends),” Robredo told reporters, referring to Sara. “Even before, when I come [to Davao], I always find time to talk to her. She was mayor when my husband was DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) secretary. So we’re friends,” she said.

READ: Why are Duterte and his allies agitated with VP Leni?