MANILA — Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte said Wednesday she would seek the presidency in 2028, setting the stage for an early start to election campaign in the Southeast Asian nation of 116 million people.”I am Sara Duterte. I will run for president of the Philippines,” she said in a brief televized speech. “I offer my life, my strength, and my future in the service of our nation,” she added.Her announcement comes as she is embroiled in a bitter power struggle with current President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.Duterte, 47, is the daughter of the former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained at the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity over a brutal antidrugs crackdown that left thousands of his citizens dead over the course of his presidency.While the presidential vote is two years away, contenders in the Philippines’ largely personality-based elections are known to prepare for years in advance.Marcos is ineligible for re-election and his allies have yet to field a challenger to Duterte.Marcos and Sara Duterte ran under the same ticket in the 2022 election, which they won by a landslide. But the alliance soon unravelled as they pursued separate political interests.The feud blew up spectacularly in March 2025, when Marcos allowed the International Criminal Court to arrest Sara’s father. Two months later, a mid-term legislative vote, seen as a barometer of support for the incumbent government, delivered a victory for candidates endorsed by the Duterte family, against those handpicked by Marcos.Just over a week ago, members of the Catholic clergy filed an impeachment complaint against the vice president over alleged corruption, which she denies.Sara is Rodrigo Duterte’s eldest daughter and is widely-considered as his political heir.The elder Duterte once described his daughter as the “alpha” in their family, the one whom everyone follows.Sara served as vice mayor to her father when he led Davao city in the 2010s. It was in that southern metropolis that the Duterte’s built their reputation for being tough on crime, which they have described as necessary to keep people safe and encourage businesses to grow.Sara was thrust into the national spotlight when, in defense of shanty town dwellers, she punched a Davao sheriff in full view of TV news cameras.She was Davao city mayor when her father was president from 2016 and 2022, and her alliance with Marcos in the 2022 elections was pivotal for both their election victories.The vice president, like her father, projects a tough image. She rides large motorcycles and has given her children nicknames like Sharky, Stonefish and Stingray. She also shares matching tattoos with her two brothers. — Agencies
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