Vice President Sara Duterte has not dismissed the possibility of running for president in 2028, even as she faces an impeachment trial in the Senate.
Speaking publicly for the first time since her impeachment by the House of Representatives, Duterte said she had yet to consider resigning and that her legal team was preparing her defense.
“The legal team is still preparing the defense and (deciding) what we will do moving forward,” she said, urging supporters to “have faith” in the process.
When asked about stepping down, Duterte responded, “We’re not there yet, ma’am.” Resignation could allow her to sidestep a Senate conviction, which would bar her from holding public office in the future.
Despite the political turmoil, the vice president confirmed that a presidential bid in 2028 remains a possibility.
“We are seriously considering that, but it’s difficult to decide without numbers, so we have to know the surveys and numbers, but that’s still for next year,” she said.
Duterte was impeached on charges of violating the constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other alleged high crimes. The accusations, outlined in a 44-page document, include an alleged assassination plot against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
She has denied the allegations, stating that her words were taken out of context. “I didn’t make an assassination threat to the president. They are the only ones saying that,” she said.
Meanwhile, President Marcos has denied any involvement in Duterte’s impeachment. “There is an implication that somehow I am giving them (Congress) orders. That is not the case at all,” he told reporters.
Senate President Francis Escudero has indicated that Duterte’s trial is unlikely to begin before the mid-term elections in May or conclude before the new Congress takes office in July.
