After Work [Rodrigo Duterte x Leni Robredo]

Iv. Protecting his Lady

The moment Digong appointed Leni as the co-chair of his anti-drug agency, he began to observe the people's response and the people surrounding her. In just two days, he saw how eager and hopeful the enemies became the moment she was appointed. They really counted her as an easy passage to bring him down.

In the span of one week, he saw several of his opponents expressing support for her, using her against him and approaching her with hopes that they can get her trust and use her to sabotage his main advocacy of drug eradication and make him a complete failure so that they can pave a way for his impeachment.

Leni was really a fragile path. She is emotionally vulnerable about him and he witnessed and could vouch for that yet, he didn't want his opponents to abuse and use her against him to the point that she will be caught in between saving her career or saving their relationship. He didn't want to cause her that situation.

Delfin created a discreet order to the designated securities of Leni to block any possible threats and disable it from coming to her awareness. He collected all the death threats sent to her office and put it into the defense secretary's custody as evidences. Due to this secret order, Leni had no idea of the danger she's into. Digong and Delfin agreed to not let her feel or know about it as well as they assess the level of threat his battle with the oligarchs is causing to her.

The further he observed, the more days passing by, the more he proved to himself that keeping his blooming relationship or whatever special they have isn't practical of keeping anymore. He evaluated to himself everything about her and he landed to the same conclusion.

He loves her dearly but his country needs him more than she do now.

He sighed the agony off his chest and reminisced his sentimental moments with his vice president. If only he could live like that with her forever, he would but he had responsibilities that he can't leave unattended.

He called Panelo, Medialdea and Lorenzana after all his thinking and reflection and told him all his realizations upon appointing Leni in ICAD. "Pano yan bai?" Lorenzana queried, "kung magtatagal pa si Leni diyan mas lalong iipitin yan ng mga politiko niyang kasamahan." He added.

Digong nodded telling him he knows. "I have to fire her." He dropped sweeping off the three men's feet.

"She's been there for 19 days. Baka naman masabihan ka na insecure kase tinaggal mo agad?" Panelo found the idea irrational but Digong already had a plan.

"Make up an excuse." He instructed him leaving him no other option. "Ikaw na magconfirm sa firing. I don't want to say it." Medialdea looked pressured but he had a job to do, "sige."

The two men left the room with a task at the top of their heads. Delfin looked at Rodrigo's blank face, he observed his eyes that never lied.

He was broken inside, he knew it, his eyes tells him so. "Sigurado ka ba sa mga desisyon mo?" He asked.

"Oo naman. Napagisipan ko na 'to." He chuckled to conceal his misery. "Tatanggalin mo talaga?" The room began to turn extremely silent as he looked blankly on the floor. Delfin wanted to make him speak to lessen the burden in his friend's chest but he didn't want to intrude and force him to.

Finally, Digong gave his most important favor to Delfin.

"Bai," he uttered, "just do everything you can to protect Leni." He pleaded. "That's my order." He stipulated.

Delfin nodded, "mandato ko sumunod sa utos mo." He assured him.

He was one of his fewest trusted men, he never failed him and he never will especially on this one. He knew how much Leni meant to Digong and this move was an emotional sacrifice for him and following his order to protect the woman he loves dearly is the least thing he can do for his friend.

—

The SEA Games commotion overshadowed Leni's termination from her anti-drug position. Despite that most people didn't notice or pay attention to it, it largely bothered her. It can't be just a move to cover up the SEA Games faults and errors because if that's the case, he sacrificed her position and pride for nothing because it didn't do anything to ease the stress on the SEA Games anomalies. She hated how that one move felt unfair this time. She was used to Digong using their rifts to divert the people's attention away from the real issues as he works on resolving it but this time, it failed. Nobody cared about them and a lot were focused on the failures and shame of the sport event in the country.

She waited for a couple of days for him to approach her and explain things to her but she didn't hear a single word from him. She began to doubt – not him – but herself. Is she no longer enough to keep him wanting her? Does he even like her still? Is she still special to him?

Nobody could answer her than him. That's when she knew she had to speak to him. She needed assurance and security that only him can give.

Her office requested a courtesy call to the president but after a few weeks, they still failed to get feedbacks. She tried communicating with his presidential assistant, Bong Go, but he keeps saying that his schedule is loaded and he'll try to make a way to put her in, it felt like an empty promise. She tried messaging him but. She received no replies at all.

What if merong may hawak ng phone niya at dinedelete yung mga message ko? She thought of an excuse.

She was starting to feel anxious yet, she still believed that what they have is special that it won't be toppled just like that, not just by politics. She thought it's more unlikely that what he showed and made her feel were all lies than to think that someone is just getting in their way.

Someone knocked on her office's door. "Excuse me ma'am," her secretary handed her the final budget proposal of her office. "Tapos na po yung files ma'am. Isusubmit na po kay presidente bukas," something felt like resonating in her ears as soon as he heard his name.

"I'm sorry? Ano yon?" She asked.

"Bukas po isusubmit kay presidente 'to ma'am. For his signature nalang po." She repeated. Suddenly, Leni came up with an idea.

"Nakaschedule na kayo bukas? Sinong pupunta para ihand over ito?" She queried, "si ma'am Mara po, ma'am." She replied.

Leni nodded and spoke to Mara to inform her about the sudden changes. She requested for her to escort her to the palace and let her personally hand the documents to the president. With that, she can finally speak to Digong in person.

She got into her favorite dress, the one she wore during their first ever meeting way back in July 2016. She went down her van and was escorted by the staffs inside the palace.

"Good afternoon ma'am." They greeted and walked her inside. "Ma'am." Bong uttered in surprise, he wasn't expecting her that day but he didn't want to throw her out either.

"Good afternoon, senator. Magsusubmit lang ng document kay pangulo." She smiled and shook his hand.

"Ah, sige po ma'am." He didn't seem to have much option. He nervously assisted her to the president's office.

Digong was left speechless upon seeing Leni standing in the same room as him. He wasn't ready to see her yet but he was cornered.

A/N: Do you think what happened between Digong and Leni is special or is it just one of Digong's playful fantasies? Is Leni's assumption that it meant something wrong? Comment and vote your thoughts below! Next update is on 24th! Xo