Sara Duterte Goes All-In: VP Officially Declares 2028 Presidential Bid

Vice President Sara Duterte made it officially official on Wednesday morning — she’s running for president in 2028. In a brief but charged statement delivered before a room of supporters, the VP dropped the long-awaited bombshell: "Ako si Sara Duterte, tatakbo bilang Pangulo ng Pilipinas." Just like that, the speculation that has been swirling for over a year came to a definitive close. Ayan na — no more “I’m still thinking about it” moments from the country’s second-highest official.

But before the big declaration, Duterte took several minutes to lay out a scorching indictment of the Marcos Jr. administration. She accused the President of breaking campaign promises almost immediately after taking office, called the 2025 national budget "riddled with corruption," and dismissed the multiple investigations into her office as "scripted" political theater. She also reiterated her characterization of her father’s transfer to the International Criminal Court as a "kidnapping" — strong language that’s sure to keep the political temperature boiling.

The timing of the announcement is notable — and not without political complications. Three fresh impeachment complaints were filed against Duterte in the House of Representatives earlier this month, after the Supreme Court struck down the 2025 impeachment articles for running afoul of the Constitution’s one-year bar on successive filings. The new complaints add yet another legal and political headache for the VP, who is now simultaneously launching a presidential campaign and fighting off attempts to remove her from office entirely.

Pundits are already drawing comparisons to former Vice President Jejomar Binay, who declared his 2016 presidential ambitions as early as 2011 — and was the runaway frontrunner for years — only to finish fourth on election day after a barrage of corruption scandals. Early declarations in Philippine politics are a double-edged sword: they build momentum, pero they also give opponents years’ worth of time to chisel away at your public image. For Sara, the question is whether her Duterte brand remains fireproof under sustained scrutiny.

With more than two years still to go before the 2028 campaign season heats up, Sara Duterte’s declaration sets the stage for what promises to be one of the most turbulent electoral cycles in modern Philippine history. She enters the race with a loyal base, a famous surname, and a set of powerful enemies including the sitting president. Whether the impeachment attempts succeed or fizzle, and whether her father’s ICC case casts a long shadow, will likely define her political fate. Abangan — the real show is just getting started. Source: Philstar.com, The Guardian, DW, BBC