Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte announces 2028 presidential bid
Sara Duterte, 47, declared her candidacy for the 2028 election in a televised address Wednesday, setting up an early race in the Southeast Asian nation.
34 min ago
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte announced Wednesday that she will run for president in the 2028 election, formally entering the race two years in advance.
"I am Sara Duterte. I will run for president of the Philippines," she said in a televised speech. "I offer my life, my strength, and my future in the service of our nation."
Duterte, 47, is the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained at the International Criminal Court in The Hague facing charges of crimes against humanity related to a brutal antidrug crackdown during his presidency that resulted in thousands of deaths.
The vice president's announcement marks a significant shift in Philippine politics. She and current President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. ran on a joint ticket in the 2022 election, winning by a landslide. However, the alliance deteriorated as the two politicians pursued separate political agendas and became embroiled in a bitter feud.
Relations between Duterte and Marcos Jr. reached a low point last year when her father was arrested in Manila and transferred to The Hague to face ICC charges. At that time, Sara Duterte condemned his arrest as "oppression and persecution."
In her Wednesday address, Duterte criticized the current administration, accusing Marcos Jr. of presiding over a period marked by rampant corruption. She resigned from the cabinet two years after the 2022 election victory, following the deterioration of her relationship with the president.
Marcos Jr. is constitutionally ineligible to seek re-election. His political allies have not yet fielded a challenger to Duterte, leaving the field open as the 2028 race begins to take shape.
In the Philippines, presidential elections are largely personality-based, and candidates typically begin preparing years in advance. The nation has a population of approximately 116 million people.
Duterte's father is scheduled to appear before the ICC in the coming weeks to face the charges against him.