Vice President Inday Sara Duterte confirmed she has already secured a running mate for her 2028 presidential bid and reiterated that her political moves are not driven by vengeance but by accountability.
“I’ve already recruited someone,” Duterte said in Filipino during an interview aired on Saturday. “That’s all I can say.”
She declined to identify the person, saying she would wait for the individual’s decision before making any public announcement.
Duterte has also publicly stated that she is not acting out of revenge. At the same time, she stressed that “may kailangan managot,” underscoring her position that certain individuals must answer for their actions.
Duterte earlier became the first to formally declare her intention to run for president in 2028 during a press conference at the Office of the Vice President headquarters in Mandaluyong City. Before delivering her statement, she instructed staff to remove the OVP seal and flag from the backdrop, explaining that her announcement “has nothing to do” with the OVP.
She also wore black during the event, saying it symbolized her protest against the administration of President Bongbong Marcos.
The Marcos and Duterte political camps have been locked in an escalating rift, marked by Duterte’s resignation as education secretary in June 2024. Tensions deepened after Sen. Imee Marcos publicly aligned herself with the Duterte bloc and made strong accusations against the president during a rally at the Quirino Grandstand last year.
Speculation over Duterte’s potential running mate has intensified in recent months. The possibility of Sen. Imee Marcos joining her 2028 ticket has been floated in the Senate, with Sen. Robin Padilla saying he was gathering support for the tandem.
By confirming that she has already recruited a vice presidential partner while emphasizing accountability, Duterte signaled that her 2028 bid is taking shape as the political divide within the administration continues to widen.
