MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. thanked Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero for initiating his encounter with former vice president Leni Robredo in Sorsogon City on Thursday.
In a speech at th Malacañan Palace on Friday, Marcos said he appreciates Escudero’s goodwill gesture of inviting Robredo during the inauguration of the Sorsogon Sports Arena.
“Senate President Chiz Escudero has taken a very important step towards political reconciliation yesterday,” Marcos said. “Well done. I’m so happy you did that.”
The Chief Executive had a brief encounter with Robredo and her political ally, former senator Bam Aquino, at the venue’s holding area.
Escudero said on Thursday that he invited Robredo to welcome the Chief Executive on behalf of the Bicol region.
Robredo defeated Marcos by 263,473 votes in the 2016 vice presidential race. Marcos protested before the Supreme Court, which upheld Robredo’s victory in 2020.
The two faced each other anew in the 2022 presidential elections where Marcos won convincingly over Robredo, 31,629,783 to the latter’s 15,035,773./PN
