VICE President Sara Duterte on Monday declared her intention to run in “the next elections” but did not say if she was referring to the 2025 midterm elections or the 2028 national polls.
President Marcos Jr. yesterday said, “I think she’s also testing the waters to see what the reaction will be. I haven’t talked to her about it.”
Duterte made the revelation during a flag-raising ceremony in Barangay Bago Gallera in Davao City, which she visited in the wake of the flooding caused by a heavy rainfall in the whole Davao Region.
The Vice President said her brothers, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte and Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, have both said they will not seek public posts in the next elections.
Duterte’s term as Vice President will end in 2028 and she is expected to seek the presidency.
The Vice President also has the option to resign and run for mayor again in the May 2025 midterm polls to ensure her family will retain its grip on the Davao City leadership.
The Office of the Vice President has yet to issue a statement to clarify if Duterte is planning to return to local politics or seeking the presidency in the next national elections.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is being investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the summary executions of suspected drug dealers and innocent individuals who were killed in his war on illegal drugs, has been accusing Speaker Martin Romualdez of trying to ease out his daughter this early for being a “good presidential candidate” in 2028. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
