MANILA: Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte said Wednesday she would seek the presidency in the 2028 elections — a bid that would have to withstand new impeachment attempts in Congress and criminal complaints that could ban her from public office if convicted.
She made the announcement in a televised speech where she renewed allegations of corruption and misrule against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. They were running mates in a whirlwind alliance in the 2022 election but have since had a bitter falling out.
She and her family have blamed Marcos for the detention of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who faces a potential trial for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, which ordered his arrest and detention in the Netherlands last year over his deadly anti-drugs crackdown.
Sara Duterte accused Marcos of reneging on his campaign promises and of misrule. She repeatedly asked for public forgiveness for problems such as government corruption, law-and-order issues and inflation.
“Politicians often avoid announcing their plans early so they wouldn’t be the target of attacks,” Duterte said. “But this administration has long destroyed my name.”
