It was not a mere handshake or an act of civility, but one akin to smoking the peace pipe.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday cited the significant role played by Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero in the show of amity between himself and his political rival, former Vice President Leni Robredo.

Marcos expressed his gratitude to Escudero during the ceremonial signing of the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Law at Malacañang.

The President mentioned Escudero’s invitation to Robredo to attend the inauguration of the Sorsogon Sports Arena in Sorsogon City on Thursday.

“Senate President Chiz Escudero… had taken a very important step towards political reconciliation yesterday,” Marcos said, as he acknowledged Escudero’s presence during the signing ceremony.

“Well done, I’m so happy you did that,” Marcos told the Senate President.

It was Escudero who invited Robredo to the inauguration of the sports arena. She and Marcos shook hands on his arrival at the venue.

Robredo’s political ally, former senator Bam Aquino, was standing beside her and also shook hands with Marcos.

Escudero described the short meeting between Marcos and Robredo as “symbolic,” saying it was a gesture that most politicians could learn from.

Marcos and Robredo were rivals in the 2022 presidential race. In 2016, Escudero, Marcos and Robredo ran against each other for vice president.

“They just exchanged pleasantries. I think this is the first step toward healing whatever wounds or misunderstanding they have,” Escudero said.

The Bicol Region is Robredo’s bailiwick. She is running for mayor of Naga City in the 2025 midterm elections.

In contrast, the relationship between Marcos and his running mate in the 2022 elections, Vice President Sara Duterte, has faced significant strain.

Tensions surfaced as Duterte publicly accused Marcos’s allies in the House of Representatives of subjecting her to political persecution, claiming they undermined her initiatives and sought to diminish her influence within the administration.