Leni’s runningmate: Rep. Bordado files COC for Naga City vice mayor

Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr. (Photo from his Facebook account)

NAGA CITY – Camarines Sur 3rd district Representative Gabriel Bordado Jr. filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for vice mayor of this city on Saturday, October 5.

Bordado is the running mate of former Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, who also filed her COC Saturday for the mayoral race in the 2025 midterm elections, under the Liberal Party of the Philippines.

READ: Leni Robredo files COC for Naga City mayor

Robredo, Bordado, and all the aspiring councilors in their slate filed their COCs after a private mass at the Archbishop’s Palace, also in this city. “Team Naga,” as they are called, were all wearing pink, Robredo’s campaign color when she ran for president in 2022.

When the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo was mayor of Naga City, Bordado became his acting city administrator, then his secretary, then his public information officer.

This is not the first time Bordado, if he wins next year, will be holding the position. For three terms, he became the city mayor—first under Jesse (2003 to 2010) and then under John Bongat (2010 to 2013).

Previously, Bordado was sure about not running for any government post anymore.

“I was telling (Robredo) that I will not run anymore. I said I’ve been in the government service for too long,” Bordado told the Inquirer. “But she said that if I pass the process, that means that the people still want me.”

The process Bordado is referring to is the vetting process that the “Team Naga” undergoes in which 2,000 Naga City folks give their anonymous evaluations of the aspiring candidates. Everyone in the “Team Naga” slate were the ones who emerged as the people’s choice.