PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday dismissed speculation that his visit to Naga City, bailiwick of Mayor Leni Robredo, was political — although he wore pink socks “in her honor.” Speaking to reporters after inspecting the ongoing operations under Oplan Kontra Baha at Sagop Creek in Triangulo village, Marcos brushed off suggestions of political undertones surrounding the visit. “The most political thing that we did today, I wore my pink socks in honor of Mayor Leni,” said the president, referring to the color pink that Robredo used in her presidential campaign in 2022, when she ran against Marcos. Robredo smiled after Marcos showed his socks to reporters. Marcos was in Naga City to inspect ongoing operations under Oplan Kontra Baha, the national government’s flood mitigation initiative. Speculation swirled about Marcos’ visit, with some pundits saying that the president may forge an alliance with his former rival in the 2022 national elections in the wake of Vice President Sara Duterte’s announcement that she would run for the highest office in the land in 2028. Robredo herself has not made any declaration, although an early survey on presidential candidates showed that she was 16 points behind Duterte. Marcos, however, insisted that it was not something that he and Robredo discussed and stressed that he was there for “service first before politics.” “You know, we are not talking about that. I think the mayor will agree with me that service must go first before politics,” the president said. “What we are here for is to try and find solutions to this very important problem, very critical problem that we have, not only here in Naga City but also in Camarines Sur, and for that matter, for the whole of Bicol. That’s what we are concentrating on,” he added. Marcos also said that his visit to Naga City had already been scheduled before Duterte announced her plans to seek the presidency. “We have been planning this for a few months already,” he said. Marcos, a former mayor of Ilocos Norte, said he only wanted to help local government units that need assistance from the national government. “Whoever needs help, the national government is here to help. I came from local government. That’s why I have great sympathy for the situations of local governments,” Marcos said. “That’s why whoever comes to us to help, we will do what we can to help,” he added. Robredo, who defeated Marcos in the vice presidential race in 2016, lost in their rematch during the presidential elections six years later. Several political analysts and lawmakers have expressed their belief that Robredo is the strongest candidate who could beat Duterte in the 2028 presidential race. They said Marcos’ possible endorsement could also give a big boost to Robredo’s candidacy. Marcos, however, said it was too early to talk about politics. “There is still a lot to do. We still have a lot to do. We will get to that. We will also reach that point,” he said. Marcos also declined to further comment on Duterte’s presidential run in 2028. “Nothing really. That’s her choice,” Marcos said. Malacañang on Friday viewed Duterte’s early announcement of her 2028 presidential bid as “irrelevant,” as the Marcos administration remained focused on achieving its agenda for prosperity. “That view... is not the Palace’s view. The vice president’s declaration that she will run for president is irrelevant. Why irrelevant? The president does not see it as such at this time because there is no need for Filipinos to be divided,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said. “Our fellow citizens, especially leaders and public servants, should not be taking sides at this time,” she added.