Vice President Sara Duterte announces 2028 Philippines presidential bid

By Anadolu Staff

ISTANBUL (AA) - Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday announced her bid to run for president in the May 2028 elections.

“It took me 47 years to understand that my life was never meant to be only mine,” Sara said in a livestreamed address. “I will run for president,” she said.

Her declaration comes as she faces multiple impeachment complaints over alleged corruption and accusations that she threatened the life of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Previously political allies, Marcos and Sara have seen their relationship deteriorate in recent years.

Strains intensified last year when Marcos approved the arrest of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, under a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.

The former president is due to receive confirmation of charges in The Hague, where he is accused of committing crimes against humanity as part of his “war on drugs” during his presidency from 2016 to 2022.

Together with Marcos, Sara was elected in the 2022 elections as the 15th vice president of the Southeast Asian nation, but she withdrew from the Cabinet as education secretary in 2024.