VICE President Sara Duterte yesterday played coy when asked to comment on her future political plans after a Pulse Asia survey on presidential preferences showed she was statistically tied with Sen. Rafael Tulfo.
Duterte said she would rather focus on her duties and responsibilities as the second highest official of the land and concurrent Education Secretary instead of discussing her future political plans.
“Napakalayo pa kasi ng 2028 para natin pag-usapan sa ngayon (It’s too early to talk about it because 2028 is still far from now),” she told reporters. “Ang ginagawa lang natin ngayon, at ang kailangan nating gawin lahat ay magtrabaho muna at mag-contribute tayong lahat sa nation-building (What we’re doing now, and what we all should do, is to work first and contribute to nation-building).”
The Pulse Asia survey, conducted from March 6 to 10, showed that Tulfo got 35 percentage points while Duterte received 34, leaving them statistically tied.
In the vice-presidential preference survey, Sen. Grace Poe got the top position with 35 percentage points, followed by presidential sister Sen. Imee Marcos with 16.
The same Pulse Asia survey showed that Sen. Tulfo’s younger brother, Rep. Erwin Tulfo (PL, ACT-CIS), and former Senate President Vicente Sotto III were the top choices for senators if the 2025 mid-term elections were held today.
Others in the top 12 of the survey on senatorial preferences are former President Rodrigo Duterte (47.7 percent), Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go (44.2 percent), Sen. Pia Cayetano (37.7 percent), former Sen. Manny Pacquiao (33.7 percent), Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa (33.2 percent), Sen. Imee Marcos (32.1 percent), former Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso (31.5 percent), broadcaster Ben Tulfo (30.5 percent), Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. (29.6 percent) and Makati Mayor Abigail Binay (29.1 percent).
Rep. Tulfo last week said his brother has no plans to run for president in 2028 “because it’s a major, major headache.”
Last January, the Vice President 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.
The Vice President said she made the decision after her brothers, Paolo and Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, both said they would not seek public posts in the next elections.
While Duterte’s term as Vice President will end in 2028 and she is expected to seek the presidency, she also has the option to resign and run for mayor again in the May 2025 midterm polls to ensure her family would retain its grip on the Davao City leadership.
The Vice President has said she has not yet discussed her future political plans with President Marcos Jr., who earlier said she seems to be “testing the waters” before deciding which position to seek.
