By Raymund Antonio Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo resounded calls to public officials to “forget about politics and work together“ for the sake of the nation. That was the same thing that President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said in one of his public activities. Vice President Leni Robredo with President Rodrigo Duterte (Photo by OVP) Robredo, a vocal critic of the anti-drug war and alleged extrajudicial killings of crime suspects, agreed with Duterte that work should come first before politics, but she emphasized the people in government should take the message to heart. “Sana isapuso nating lahat—mula kay Presidente hanggang sa pinakamaliit na local government official— iyong kasabihan na trabaho muna bago pulitika. (I hope we all – from the President to the lowest ranking local government official – would take to heart the true meaning of work before politics.),” she said. Robredo was asked to comment on Duterte’s statement in a media interview on the sidelines of the launch of the Albay Provincial Library Gender and Development Section in Legazpi City, Albay. While speaking to reporters, the Vice President called out the early campaigning of some national government officials for next year’s elections. “Kung lahat eleksyon ang pinag-uusapan ngayon, hindi iyon makakabuti sa ating lahat. Kung iyong public servants ngayon nag-iikot para nangangampanya na, hindi ito iyong sadya ng panahon (If we will all talk about election, it would not be good to everyone. If the public servants now go around to campaign, it is not yet time.),” she said. The country’s top two officials saw each other for three times last week as they attended the graduation rites at the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio, anniversary celebration of the Philippine Army in Taguig City, and the Philippine National Police Academy’s graduation in Silang, Cavite. Robredo, chair of the once ruling Liberal Party, earlier said it would be better if the two of them get along and have a good relationship. In Legazpi, she shrugged off Duterte was “ogling” at her during the PMA graduation. Photos of Duterte gazing at the Vice President circulated online. “That is unfair for the President. I think it was only timing when he looked at me and it was given a different meaning,” she said in Filipino. “I think that’s the problem when you have a male President and a female Vice President… All of the intrigues are there,” she added.