Ex-VP Leni Robredo dominates polls in historic Naga bid

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 2:46 a.m.) — Former Vice President Leni Robredo holds an overwhelming lead in the Naga City mayoral race in Camarines Sur, based on initial and unofficial results from media transparency servers on Monday, May 12.

Robredo, who made her presidential bid in 2022 but lost, took the opportunity to lead the city where her late husband, Jesse Robredo, once served as mayor. 

Now, she has become the first female mayor of Naga City, which has been predominantly led by male mayors based on the city government’s archives. 

As of 2:32 a.m. on Tuesday, May 13, around 80.69% of election returns have been transmitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). The latest figures show that Robredo secured 68,198 votes — a clear landslide compared to her contenders, who earned less than 10,000 votes.

Vice mayoral race. Robredo’s running mate, incumbent Rep. Gabriel “Gabby” Bordado (Camarines Sur, 3rd District), also currently leads the race for the position of vice mayor with 37,882 votes. 

However, the race remains tight as he faces independent candidate Tato Mendoza, who garnered 33,516 votes. Mendoza previously ran for Naga City mayor in the 2022 national and local elections. 

Bordado also served as Jesse’s vice mayor from 2004 to 2010 and has been a long-time friend of the Robredos. Jesse last served as the late Noynoy Aquino’s interior secretary from 2010 to 2012 before he died in a plane crash. 

The city’s incumbent mayor, Nelson Legacion, gave way to Robredo and did not seek reelection. Instead, he is running for Bordado’s current seat in Congress, which is to represent the province’s 3rd District. 

He leads by over 11,000 votes against second-ranking candidate Kuya Nonoy Magtuto of the National Unity Party, a cousin of 2nd District Representative LRay Villafuerte.