Former presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo has suggested that former President Rodrigo Duterte should consider running for vice president in 2028, potentially forming a tandem with his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte. Panelo, who continues to speak with Duterte regularly, shared his advice during a press conference in Quezon City.
“My advice to the former president is to run for mayor first. You need Davao… Run as mayor, then in 2028, run as vice president alongside your daughter,” Panelo stated in an ABS-CBN News report.
He believes a Duterte-Duterte team would be a strong force in the elections. “If it’s Duterte-Duterte, for sure, everyone who turned their backs on you will come back because you’re still very strong,” he added.
According to Panelo, Duterte did not provide a direct response to the suggestion. However, he noted that the former president is keeping his options open. “He said, ‘Go ahead with your advocacy for Duterte-Duterte. Let’s see,'” Panelo recounted. “He’s open to everything. You can’t corner him. He’ll only respond if there’s a clamor.”
Duterte, who finished his presidential term in 2022, was succeeded by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the running mate of his daughter Sara Duterte. Tensions between the Duterte family and the Marcos Jr. administration surfaced earlier this year, following discussions about potentially allowing International Criminal Court investigators into the Philippines to probe the former administration’s controversial drug war. In June, Vice President Duterte resigned as Education Secretary under the Marcos Jr. administration without specifying her reasons.
Panelo further suggested that the Philippines would benefit from a revolutionary government led by Duterte. “We need a Duterte, not just for six years—even 15 years would do,” he said, emphasizing the need for strong leadership to address the country’s challenges.
Panelo also noted that Duterte seems “open to any possibility” regarding future political moves.