VICE President Sara Duterte has declared herself the leading contender in the 2028 presidential race, saying efforts to impeach her and arrest her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, are politically motivated moves aimed at sidelining their influence.
“I am the frontrunner in the presidential race in 2028,” Duterte said in an interview with Russian media. A transcript of her remarks was released Wednesday night by the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
Duterte alleged that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his administration are maneuvering to cling to power beyond his term, suggesting that her political ascendancy is being targeted.
“This is about President Marcos’ refusal to give up power. He wants to entrench himself or his family in authority,” she said. “Survey numbers confirm I’m the frontrunner. They believe that removing my father will also weaken me—we are seen as one political brand, one family.”
The Vice President has not formally announced a 2028 presidential bid, but said her supporters expect a decision by the last quarter of 2026.
PALACE RESPONDS TO ‘BUDOL’ ACCUSATION
Malacañang responded to Duterte’s recent accusation labeling the President’s leadership as a “budol” or scam.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro hit back: “We don’t know who’s scamming who. What we see is the President working and directing us to focus on governance instead of politics. So who’s really scamming?”
DUTERTE-MARCOS RIFT DEEPENS
Once allies under the “Uniteam” banner in 2022, tensions have escalated between Duterte and Marcos following investigations into her use of confidential funds and the International Criminal Court’s probe of her father’s war on drugs.
Despite this, Duterte claimed she harbors no personal grudge toward the President but criticized his governance and alleged constitutional violations.
“I don’t take the political persecution personally—it’s part of public life,” she said during a Melbourne support rally. “But I do have issues with how he governs and the affront to our sovereignty in allowing the ICC to pursue my father’s case.”
In a previous statement, Castro suggested Duterte has only herself to blame for regretting their 2022 tandem: “If she won’t listen and won’t look at the real record of the government, she’ll stay uninformed.”