A day after Naga meet, Leni thanks Marcos for coliseum repair funds

Former vice president and Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo on Sunday thanked President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. for his role in providing assistance to the city, a day after the two leaders came together for a meeting which they vowed would be bereft of politics.

In a Facebook post, Robredo expressed gratitude over the Marcos administration's release of a P500-million Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the renovation of the Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum (JRMC), the complex named after her late husband.

"Maraming salamat, Mr. President sa pag-turn over ng SARO for 500M para sa pagsasaayos ng ating Coliseum," Robredo said in Bicolano.

(Thank you, Mr. President for the turnover of the SARO amounting to P500 million for the repair of our Coliseum.)

"Ngayong napondohan na ang Coliseum, maisasa-ayos na ngayong taon ang mga important facilities ng Lungsod na napabayaan ng maraming taon. Kabilang na riyan ang Metro Naga Sports Complex at ang Naga City Civic Center na lahat na nahingan natin ng pondo para maisaayos," Robredo added.

(Now that funds have been received for the Coliseum, repairs for other important facilities in the city can also move forward this year. These sites have been neglected for many years. They include Metro Naga Sports Complex and the Naga City Civic Center. We have also requested funds for their repairs.)

According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the funds will be used for the retrofitting and modernization of the Coliseum. This includes the installation of a community kitchen to feed displaced residents during disasters, improvements to sanitation facilities, roofing upgrades, and structural strengthening.

Dubbed as the "Big Dome of the South," the JMRC was built in 2010 under Jesse Robredo's term as Interior and Local Government secretary. It has a seating capacity for 12,000 people and 15,000 for standing individuals. It has been used over the years as a vital evacuation and relief center.

Also in her message, Robredo thanked Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan for bringing up the funding matter to Malacañang. She likewise thanked Executive Secretary Ralph Recto for facilitating the request.

Speaking to reporters in Naga City on Saturday, Marcos maintained that his meeting with Robredo was nothing political but part of public service.

Rumors had surfaced that Robredo was being considered to run for the presidency in 2028 to face Vice President Sara Duterte, who has already announced her presidential bid.

Marcos remarked, "The most political thing that we did today, I wore my pink socks in honor of Mayor Leni."

This was in reference to the color pink that Robredo used in her campaign when she ran and lost to Marcos in the 2022 presidential election. — VDV, GMA Integrated News