Leni Robredo

Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo (Tagalog: [ˈlɛnɪ ɾɔˈbrɛdɔ]; <a href="/facts/Birth_name/FctFJcbg">née</a> Gerona; born April 23, 1965) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who has served as the 18th <a href="/facts/Mayor/KN24kwhp">mayor</a> of <a href="/facts/Naga%2c_Camarines_Sur/YqGgsVXT">Naga, Camarines Sur</a>, since 2025. She previously served as the 14th <a href="/facts/Vice_president_of_the_Philippines/IycMwupJ">vice president of the Philippines</a> from 2016 to 2022, and as the <a href="/facts/House_of_Representatives_of_the_Philippines/thJXpwBG">representative</a> of <a href="/facts/Camarines_Sur/0BEBYKnK">Camarines Sur's third district</a> from 2013 to 2016.
Robredo narrowly defeated Senator <a href="/facts/Bongbong_Marcos/98IXbMIG">Bongbong Marcos</a> in the <a href="/facts/2016_Philippine_presidential_election/0h7sucVU">2016 vice presidential election</a>. After an electoral protest by Marcos, the <a href="/facts/Presidential_Electoral_Tribunal/897XRBNT">Presidential Electoral Tribunal</a> found no signs of fraud and her lead was slightly widened. She is the second woman to serve as vice president of the Philippines, after <a href="/facts/Gloria_Macapagal_Arroyo/wuEl8yxv">Gloria Macapagal Arroyo</a>, and the first vice president from the <a href="/facts/Bicol_Region/jzXSosFH">Bicol Region</a>.
Robredo has spearheaded multiple programs in the <a href="/facts/Office_of_the_Vice_President_of_the_Philippines/GtwATI6R">Office of the Vice President</a> (OVP); her flagship anti-poverty program, Angat Buhay (lit. 'Uplifting Lives'), has helped address key areas including education, rural development, and healthcare, in partnership with more than 300 organizations. During the <a href="/facts/COVID-19_pandemic_in_the_Philippines/cDKw6XmH">COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines</a>, the OVP under Robredo responded by providing free shuttle services for frontline workers, <a href="/facts/RT-PCR_test/fQGqXPyW">swab tests</a>, telehealth services, and raised funds for relief operations across the country. Robredo was awarded by the <a href="/facts/Government_of_Thailand/hWUevsQF">government of Thailand</a> in 2016 for her work and advocacy in <a href="/facts/Women%2527s_empowerment/jbn7ASCV">women's empowerment</a> and gender equality. Under her leadership, the OVP also received the <a href="/facts/ISO_9001%3a2015/pdaweJBa">ISO 9001: 2015 certification</a> for the office's quality management systems.
During her vice presidency, she served as the chair of the <a href="/facts/Liberal_Party_(Philippines)/TqF0pNlL">Liberal Party</a> and de facto leader of the opposition to President <a href="/facts/Rodrigo_Duterte/zXNDq4br">Rodrigo Duterte</a>'s administration, where she was appointed by Duterte and briefly served as the chair of the <a href="/facts/Housing_and_Urban_Development_Coordinating_Council/rkFBEl7k">Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council</a> and the co-chairperson of the <a href="/facts/Inter-Agency_Committee_on_Anti-Illegal_Drugs/EJBnaLs2">Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs</a>. She has received backlash from government supporters for her being staunchly critical to <a href="/facts/Presidency_of_Rodrigo_Duterte/32LNLU09">Duterte's policies</a> such as the <a href="/facts/Philippine_Drug_War/U6WyPm73">war on drugs</a>, counter-insurgency initiatives, <a href="/facts/Philippine_government_response_to_the_COVID-19_pandemic/NeCPt2Lr">COVID-19 pandemic response</a>, and soft stance toward China. She has been a constant target of <a href="/facts/Disinformation/JNY1zmLJ">disinformation</a>, with many articles making false claims about her personal life to discredit her.
Robredo announced her <a href="/facts/Leni_Robredo_2022_presidential_campaign/fSgJh5tD">presidential campaign</a> in the <a href="/facts/2022_Philippine_presidential_election/suhC6Fnp">2022 presidential elections</a> with Liberal Party leader and Senator <a href="/facts/Francis_Pangilinan/q8SEsKwm">Francis Pangilinan</a> as her running mate. However, she widely lost the election to Bongbong Marcos. She left office shortly after and founded <a href="/facts/Angat_Buhay/vpeRDoxb">Angat Buhay</a>, a nonprofit organization. In 2025, Robredo returned to local politics by <a href="/facts/2025_Naga%2c_Camarines_Sur%2c_local_elections/n7Y5TnxD">running for mayor</a> of <a href="/facts/Naga%2c_Camarines_Sur/YqGgsVXT">Naga, Camarines Sur</a>, and won by a landslide.

Leni Robredo open-in-new

Leni Robredo