By Adrian H. Halili And Chloe Marie A Hufana, reporter
Philippine Vice President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio said on Wednesday she will run for president in 2028, becoming the first major political figure to declare her intention to seek the country's top post amid a growing feud with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.
“I am Sara Duterte, I will run for president of the Philippines,” she said in a prepared statement in Filipino. After this he refused to answer the questions.
The 1987 Constitution limits Mr. Marcos to only a six-year term, and he has yet to endorse a successor.
Before announcing her presidential ambitions, Ms. Duterte said it was a mistake to run with Mr. Marcos in 2022, accusing him of failing to deliver on his campaign promises and being involved in what she described as a large-scale corruption scheme tied to the 2025 national budget.
“I cannot kneel before every Filipino to apologize,” said Ms. Duterte, who is facing fresh impeachment in the House of Representatives. “Instead, I offer my life, my strength, and my future in the service of our nation.”
He said, “In the first months of our term, I witnessed Bonabong Marcos, Jr.'s lack of integrity, both in the promises he made during the campaign and in his sworn duty to the people.”
Palace press officer Clarissa A. Mr. Marcos conveyed his “best wishes” to the vice president, Castro said at a news briefing.
He said Ms Duterte should apologize for her shortcomings during her tenure as education secretary, including alleged corruption, use of secret funds, foreign travel expenses and comments against the President.
“He should first apologize for the issues of corruption and alleged embezzlement of confidential funds in his two offices – the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education,” Ms Castro said in Filipino. “He should also apologize for all the defamation instead of working and helping the government.”
Ms Duterte served as education chief from 2022 to 2024 after the Marcos-Duterte tandem won a landslide victory under the “UniTeam” banner. He left the Marcos cabinet amid allegations of irregularities in the Department of Education, the government's largest agency by budget.
Congressmen relaunched impeachment complaints against her earlier this month and Ms Duterte now faces three separate cases in the House. “If there is still going to be an impeachment, it is because of his own actions,” Ms. Castro said.
Ms Duterte has denied wrongdoing.
The rift between Mr Marcos and Ms Duterte has widened in recent months following policy disagreements and political tensions between their camps.
His father, former President Rodrigo R. Political controversy has also emerged in the background of Duterte's arrest.
The House impeached him last year but the Supreme Court quashed the proceedings for violating his right to due process.
'Smart' move
Anthony Lawrence A. Borja, a political science professor at De La Salle University, said the vice president's move could increase tensions in Congress and put pressure on lawmakers who have not yet taken sides amid the impeachment complaints in the House.
“If they are afraid to side with Duterte, impeachment discussions may slow down,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “If the Marcos camp decides to impose a strong hand to ensure loyalty, the question becomes whether it can provide enough incentive to keep legislators in line.”
Hansli A. Juliano, a political science lecturer at Ateneo de Manila University, said lawmakers should consider pursuing electoral violation cases instead of impeachment.
“It would be better to involve him in cases of election violations, which can be traced back to his past actions,” he said via messenger chat. “This is intended to strengthen the potential ban on former presidents from running.”
Meanwhile, opposition senator Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel said the “united opposition”, made up of leaders of the Liberal Party and reform-oriented groups, has not yet named its standard-bearer for the 2028 elections.
“We are in the process of setting our own timeline,” he said at a news briefing. “Even before this recent important development, we were continuing to agree on our qualifications within our ranks.”
Ms. Hontiveros said she hoped to announce her candidacy by the end of the year or in the first quarter of 2027. He said his preferred presidential bid should demonstrate a commitment to anti-corruption, good governance, strong economic growth, national unity and sovereignty.
The senator has said he is ready to run for president in 2028 if the united opposition reaches a consensus on his candidacy.