Nosy Tarsee overheard from the corridors of power that a sitting city chief executive is unimpressed by feelers coming from the camp of Vice President Sara Duterte for a possible 2028 team-up.

According to the eavesdropper, during a Malacañang gathering on Monday local officials discussed the mayor’s curt, unmistakable rejection delivered while casually chatting with his colleagues. The response, overheard by Nosy Tarsee, was as plain as it was decisive: “Mag-mayor na lang muna ako (I’ll stay on as mayor for now).”

Sources said the mayor has been quietly wooed as Duterte’s camp explores a patchwork alliance aimed at bolstering the perceived Sara juggernaut. 

The speculation comes amid a swirl of tandem talk — from the floated Sara-Imee pairing branded “Team Itim,” to chatter linking Naga’s former mayor with an opposition senator. 

Even President Marcos Jr.’s recent Naga visit sparked alliance gossip, quickly brushed aside by the Palace. For now, however, one local leader appears content to keep his ambitions firmly anchored at city hall.