FACT CHECK: Robredo did not challenge Sara Duterte to a 2028 presidential debate

A social media claim that Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo challenged Vice President Sara Duterte to a debate for the 2028 presidential elections has been debunked as disinformation. Claim: Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo challenged Vice President Sara Duterte to a debate for the 2028 presidential elections. Rating: FALSE Why we fact-checked this: On September 10, Facebook user Glenn Vugalon, who has 17,000 followers, shared a video clip of Robredo speaking without original audio. Text overlaid on the video reads: “Omg!!! Confirmed? Yorme Leonor Robredo nagsalita na, wala na atrasan? Haharapin niya si VPS isang nag-aapoy na debate sa 2028 presidential bloodbath battle?” (OMG! Confirmed? Mayor Leonor Robredo has spoken, no turning back now? Will she face VP Sara in a debate in the 2028 presidential bloodbath battle?) The post’s caption also states that Robredo has declared her intention to run for president in the 2028 elections. As of writing, it has garnered 121,000 views, 1,900 reactions, 875 comments, and 41 shares. In the comments section, the author of the post alleged that Robredo seems to be “challenging” Duterte to a debate. Several social media users criticized this, with some claiming Robredo failed to learn her lesson after losing the 2022 presidential elections to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The facts: No official statements, credible news reports, or videos confirm that Robredo has challenged Duterte to a 2028 presidential debate or declared her own presidential bid. The clip featured in the post was originally published on the Naga City mayor’s official Facebook page on January 24, 2026. It shows Robredo’s video message for the semi-finalists of the 1st Naga City Mayoral Hackathon. The misleading post merely reuses this clip and adds the overlaid text without providing any proof to back up its claim regarding the supposed debate challenge. 2028 election plans: While Duterte has announced her presidential bid for the next national elections, Robredo has repeatedly dismissed speculation regarding a national office bid in 2028. She has been emphasizing her intention to seek reelection in Naga City rather than run for a national post again. However, the mayor continues to receive encouragement from allies to consider a presidential run, such as fellow Bicolana and Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Representative Leila de Lima, who view Robredo as a top contender against Duterte. The Naga mayor has also been included in several hypothetical national surveys for the presidential race. Debunked: Robredo has been a frequent target of false claims regarding various topics, particularly national politics. – Lyndee Buenagua/Rappler.com Lyndee Buenagua is a Metro Manila-based journalist who primarily covers Bicol and Baguio. She is also an alumna of Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024. Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at [email protected]. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.