VICE President Sara Duterte said she has already recruited someone to be her running mate in the 2028 presidential elections.
In an exclusive interview with SMNI, Duterte said she already spoke with someone, who has yet to decide on the matter.
She refused, however, to name the person she was referring to.
On February 18, 2026, Duterte announced that she will run for the highest government position during the 2028 national polls, as she expressed regrets for helping President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. win the elections in 2022.
She said she is ready to serve the nation at the highest level and offering a vision of renewed national direction amid what she described as critical challenges facing the Philippines.
Duterte said her decision to run side by side with Marcos in 2022 national elections brought the country to what it is today -- government riddled by corruption, communities drowning in flood waters, many families are suffering from hunger, and prices of necessities are at all-time high.
She said she is no longer afraid of the possible attacks, which may come following the declaration of her presidential bid.
Duterte during the interview said there was never a time she thought of quitting amid the attacks being launched against her.
“Kapag sumuko ako, parang mnapapahiya ang mga taong bumoto sa akin, so hindi ko gagawin yon kaya ako noong binabanatan na ako, hindi talaga ako susuko,” she said.
(If I give up, it would feel like I’m letting down the people who voted for me, so I won’t do that. That’s why, even when I was being criticized, I never really gave up.)
“Yung iba sabi nila magre-resign na ito or i-impeach ka. Parang sa akin, hindi ako magre-resign. Kung meron kayong impeachment, edi iimpeach ninyo ako, pero hindi talaga ako aalis kung saan ako nilagay ng mga tao, kasi tiwala nila ang binigay nila sa akin,” she added.
(Some people said I should resign or that I could be impeached. For me, I won’t resign. If you have an impeachment complaint, then impeach me, but I really won’t leave the position where the people placed me, because they gave me their trust.) (TPM/SunStar Philippines)