Leni Robredo Biography
Leni Robredo is a renowned Filipino lawyer and politician who held the position of the 14th vice president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. She is also the main opponent of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, the son of the former dictator, in the 2022 presidential election.
She is known for her advocacy on human rights, poverty alleviation, and good governance. She is the founder and chairperson of Angat Buhay, an anti-poverty program that partners with various organizations to provide assistance to marginalized communities.
She is the second woman to hold the position of vice president of the Philippines, following Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and the first vice president from the Bicol Region.
Leni Robredo Age
Leni Robredo is 59 years old as of 2024.
Leni Robredo Early Life and Education
Leni Robredo was born on April 23, 1965, in Naga, Camarines Sur, Philippines. She was the first of three children born to Naga City Regional Trial Court Judge Antonio Gerona and Salvacion Santo Tomas.
She attended the basic education department of Universidad de Sta. Isabel in Naga, graduating from elementary school in 1978, and from high school in 1982. She was a diligent and intelligent student who excelled in academics and extracurricular activities.
She earned her degree in economics from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1986, where she was a scholar and a student leader. She was involved in various organizations and movements that advocated for social justice, democracy, and national sovereignty. She was also a member of the UP Economics Towards Consciousness, a progressive group that aimed to raise awareness and action on economic issues.
She proceeded to study law at the University of Nueva Caceres, graduating in 1992. She passed the bar exams in 1997, after failing on her first attempt in 1996.
She chose to work as a researcher for the Bicol River Basin Development Program, a government agency tasked with integrated area development planning in the three provinces of the Bicol Region. Here she met Jesse Robredo, the program director and later the mayor of Naga, who would eventually become her husband.
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Leni Robredo Career
Leni Robredo began her career as a public attorney, providing free legal aid to the poor and oppressed. She then joined Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panligan (SALIGAN), an alternative legal support group that empowered farmers, fisherfolk, women, youth, and indigenous peoples.
She also taught law at the Ateneo de Naga University and the University of Nueva Caceres. She was recognized for her pro bono work and received several awards, such as the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World in 2000 and the Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service in 2011.
Robredo entered politics in 2013, after the death of her husband, Jesse Robredo, who was the interior secretary and former mayor of Naga. She ran and won as the representative of the 3rd district of Camarines Sur in the House of Representatives. She championed bills on rural development, women’s rights, freedom of information, and electoral reforms. She also opposed the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program and the Priority Development Assistance Fund, which were linked to corruption scandals.
In 2016, Robredo was chosen by then-President Benigno Aquino III as the vice presidential candidate of the Liberal Party, despite her lack of national prominence and political experience.
She faced a tough challenge from Bongbong Marcos, who was backed by a loyalist base and a massive war chest. Robredo campaigned on a platform of “Tsinelas leadership”, a grassroots-oriented and inclusive approach to governance that she learned from her husband. She also highlighted her achievements as a legislator and a lawyer, and her vision of a “laylayan” or a society where no one is left behind.
Robredo won the vice presidency by a slim margin of 263,473 votes, making it the closest vice presidential race in Philippine history. Marcos contested the results and filed an electoral protest, alleging fraud and irregularities.
The Presidential Electoral Tribunal conducted a recount and revision of ballots in three pilot provinces chosen by Marcos, but found no evidence of cheating and instead increased Robredo’s lead by 15,093 votes. The protest was dismissed in February 2021, after more than four years of legal battle.
As vice president, Robredo faced several challenges and limitations, such as a strained relationship with President Rodrigo Duterte, who belonged to a rival party and often belittled and criticized her. She was given a minimal budget and a marginal role in the administration.
She was briefly appointed as the co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs in 2019, but was fired after 18 days for exposing the flaws and failures of the government’s bloody war on drugs. She also resigned as the chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council in 2016, after being barred from attending cabinet meetings.
Leni Robredo Personal Life, Husband and Children
Leni Robredo married Jesse Robredo, a fellow public servant and the former mayor of Naga, in 1987. They met while working at the Bicol River Basin Development Program. They had three daughters: Jessica Marie “Aika”, Janine Patricia “Tricia”, and Jillian Therese
She became a widow in 2012, when her husband died in a plane crash off the coast of Masbate Island.
Leni Robredo Net Worth
Leni Robredo’s net worth is estimated to be around P15 million as of 2024.
Leni Robredo Social Media Handles
Leni Robredo is active on various social media platforms, where she shares updates on her work, advocacies, and personal life. Here are some of her official social media handles:
- Facebook: Atty. Leni Robredo
- Twitter: @lenirobredo
- Instagram: @lenirobredo
- YouTube: Leni Robredo (@LeniRobredoPH)
