Today, March 5, 2025, we welcome to Iloilo City then VP Leni Robredo, her Team and City Officials from Naga City. Their visit aims to explore Iloilo City’s best practices.
THE STARK COMPARISON between former Vice President Leni Robredo and current Vice President Sara Duterte reveals a tale of two leaders who represent starkly contrasting origins, leadership styles, moral compasses, public service performance, response to accountability, and approaches to governance.
Political Origins: Humble Legacy vs Political Dynasty
Leni Robredo’s rise to national prominence is a story of humility and service. She was best known as the widow of Jesse Robredo, a beloved public servant celebrated for his “tsinelas” (slippers) leadership—a symbol of accessibility, simplicity, and integrity.
Leni carried this legacy into her own political career, embodying a people-first approach to governance.
Sara Duterte, on the other hand, is a product of the Duterte clan’s power-centered governance. As the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, she inherited not just a political dynasty but also a brand synonymous with strongman politics, populism, and the centralization of authority.
Public Accountability: Unquestionable integrity vs Irresponsible notoriety
Robredo’s tenure as Vice President was a master class in transparency and public accountability. Her office received an unqualified recognition from the Commission on Audit (COA) for four consecutive years – 2018-2021, the highest possible audit rating for a government agency. She had a sterling display of integrity and accountability. Every peso spent from the public coffer was fully accounted for and justified.
Despite limited resources, and with zero Confidential Fund, her integrity fostered public trust, proving that governance could be clean, ethical, and effective.
Contrast this to Sara Duterte’s approach to fiscal responsibility which was deeply sickening. VP Sara was under scrutiny for the unaccounted ₱612.5 million in Confidential Fund. These funds, allocated for undisclosed purposes and lack of transparency have triggered multiple impeachment complaints. Likewise, as former Secretary of DepEd, her performance started with high expectations but ended up to be insignificant, uneventful, marred by corruptions, and below par at best.
Believing she is untouchable, Sara never explained nor clarified how her huge public funds were used and accounted for during her watch. It was never in her DNA to be accountable of anything, to anyone, of everything entrusted to her as a public servant.
Service Performance: Impeccable vs Impeachable
In contrast, then VP Robredo exemplified solid integrity of leadership with an unquestionable use of public fund, validated as most outstanding by the COA for four consecutive years. Her tenure was characterized with IMPECCABLE honesty and integrity.
Meanwhile, VP Duterte’s tenure was characterized as directly IMPEACHEABLE due to lack of accountability. While only 51% is needed to impeach her, the actual vote finally stood at 78% to impeach her. That’s 240 representatives out of 306 that favored her impeachment. Really, that’s unprecedented for notoriety.
By public service performance, then VP Robredo stood out as a sterling example, and a class act beyond reproach. Meanwhile, VP Duterte can only show a tainted example in comparison. Her acts as VP were totally dishonorable, shameful and forgettable. (To be continued)/PN
