Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo said there was “no trace of rancor” in her recent meeting with President Marcos, describing their rare engagement as purely work-focused despite their past political rivalry.

Robredo said this after meeting Marcos, who visited Naga City to lead the inspection of the ongoing operations under Oplan Kontra Baha, the national government’s flood mitigation initiative, at Sagop Creek in Barangay Triangulo on Saturday, Feb. 21.

In a media interview, Robredo said she was surprised when Marcos mentioned wearing pink socks during his visit, admitting that she had not initially noticed the gesture.

“Hindi niya minention na naka-pink socks siya, so natawa ako nung sinabi niya yun na naka-pink socks siya at pinakita niya pa (He didn’t mention he was wearing pink socks, so I laughed when he said it and even showed them),” she told local reporters.

She added that she appreciated the President’s gesture as it reflected a professional tone during the visit.

“Ina-appreciate ko na kahit magkatunggali kami nang twice, walang trace ng rancor at all. Talagang trabaho lang yung pinunta (I appreciated that even if we were rivals twice, there was no trace of rancor at all. The visit was really just about work),” Robredo said.

During his visit, President Marcos said he and Mayor Robredo did not talk about politics amid suggestions of an alliance between them following Vice President Sara Duterte’s declaration to run for president in 2028.

According to Marcos, the only political thing he did was to wear pink socks “in honor of Mayor Leni,” a remark which drew laughter from those present during the event.

Robredo, who ran against Marcos in two national elections, said she did not expect the light exchange during the visit.

“Sa akin kasi, una, natawa ako kasi hindi ko siya expected (At first I laughed because I didn’t expect it),” she said, referring to Marcos’ pink socks.

“Pangalawa, parang relieved naman ako na parang kung ano man yung — siyempre kung magkatunggali kayo sa eleksyon maraming hindi magandang nangyayari — pero ngayon — siya presidente na, ako mayor na — yung engagement namin trabaho na talaga (Second, I felt relieved that whatever happened before — of course, when you are rivals in an election, many unpleasant things happen — but now he is President, I am mayor — our engagement is really about work),” she added.

Robredo described the meeting as a positive sign that political differences need not affect governance.

“I think parang maganda naman na development yun na despite the fact na political enmities kami dati, ngayon parang wala ng trace nun (I think it’s a good development that even though we had political enmities before, now there seems to be no trace of that),” she said.

She emphasized that their interaction centered solely on addressing local concerns, particularly flooding in Naga and nearby areas.

Both camps have repeatedly stated that discussions during the visit focused on flood control measures and local government coordination, rather than politics.