Could former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo return to the executive branch as Vice President Sara Duterte’s running mate in the 2028 elections?
Former Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Gabby Claudio floated the possibility, saying Arroyo could address a potential challenge for Duterte: finding a running mate capable of delivering votes in Luzon, where Duterte’s support is viewed as less secure than in Mindanao. Claudio also raised another scenario that could turn the vice-presidential race into a showdown between two former presidents, with President Bongbong Marcos potentially seeking the vice presidency after completing his term.
“Sino pwedeng ka-tandem ni Sara? She will need somebody from Luzon,” he said. “Kung sakali lang—although hindi ko nakakausap—eh kung halimbawa, si GMA ang naging [running-mate ni Sara], you’ll have a spectacle where two former presidents will fight each other for the vice presidency.”
ISDA Youth Philippines National Director for Publications and Journalism Daniel Long supported Arroyo’s possible candidacy, citing her academic background as an economist with a PhD and crediting her administration for sustained economic growth.
“Why not GMA for VP? [She] led the country through 38 consecutive quarters of GDP growth, averaging 4.5%; made the peso Asia’s strongest-performing currency in 2007; and helped bring the call center and BPO industry to the Philippines,” Long said, while also crediting her administration with helping build the country’s call center and BPO industries.
On poverty and investment, Long cited a decline in the poverty rate from 39% to 26% during Arroyo’s presidency, as well as a 950% increase in Chinese investment.
Duterte currently leads early 2028 presidential preference surveys, ahead of figures such as former Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Raffy Tulfo. In the vice-presidential race, Sen. Bong Go and Sen. Robin Padilla are currently leading the field, with Pulse Asia’s July 2026 survey placing Go first and Padilla second, while WR Numero Research’s August 2026 poll reversed their positions, putting Padilla first and Go second.
Arroyo first became president in January 2001 following the EDSA II uprising that ousted Joseph Estrada. She won a full term in 2004, defeating Fernando Poe Jr., and served until 2010. She has remained in elected office since, currently representing Pampanga’s 2nd District in the House. She also served as House Speaker in 2018, becoming the first former president to lead the chamber.
Despite corruption cases filed after her presidency, most of which were later dismissed, Arroyo remains an influential political figure and a sought-after coalition builder in Congress.
Neither Arroyo nor Duterte’s camp has announced or confirmed any such political partnership. For now, the pairing remains a possibility raised in political commentary rather than an official plan, with the 2028 field likely to change significantly before the filing period.
