MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday endorsed former lawmaker Rolando Andaya's run for governor of their home province Camarines Sur.

Robredo, who kicked off her presidential campaign in the province, told supporters in Libmanan town, "Ako ay nagbibigay-galang sa susunod na gobernador, Gov. Nonoy Andaya."

(I pay my respect to the next governor, Gov. Noynoy Andaya.)

Andaya previously urged Robredo to run for governor.

He also pushed Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to seek the presidency. He met with President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter and former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro in June last year.

"Unang napag-usapan nung aking president (Duterte-Carpio) at vice president (Teodoro), ang lalim ng usapan nila, pati yung solutions sa COVID. Yung sa ekonomiya, napag-usapan nila," Andaya told ABS-CBN News after the meeting.

"Parang natural eh. Parang soulmates kumbaga... At mayroon pang magandang mensaheng pinakita ang tandem na ito," he added.

(My president and vice president had a deep conversation, including solutions to COVID. They talked about the economy. It appeared natural. It's as if they were soulmates. And this tandem also shows a good message.)

Duterte-Carpio eventually decided to run for vice president in tandem with Robredo's rival, former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos. Meanwhile, Teodoro is running for senator.

Andaya is running against Luigi Villafuerte, brother of outgoing Camarines Sur governor Migz Villafuerte. Andaya lost to Gov. Migz in a tight race in 2019.

In 2013, Robredo defeated Villafuerte matriarch Nelly in the contest for the congressional seat of the province's third district. It was Robredo's first foray into politics, about a year after her husband, then interior secretary Jesse Robredo, died in a plane crash.

Other candidates for Camarines Sur governor this year include incumbent vice governor Imelda Papin, and independent contenders Irineo Bongat Jr. and Richard Cabal.