The next presidential election, which will be in 2028, is still far away, but the current actions of the possible wannabes have gotten interesting. Only Vice President Sara Duterte has so far declared her intention to aim for the higher post. Sara is the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (also called Bongbong Marcos or BBM) wisely allowed the ICC to put Digong in its custody and thus prevent him from dipping his fingers in Philippine politics. Duterte supporters, also referred to as Diehard Duterte Supporters or DDS, are still sizable and could still influence election results.
Sara’s early declaration was apparently intended to give her an inside track early in the presidential race, but it also made her a target for those who do not want her to end up becoming our next president. Even BBM, who was with Sara in 2022 in the UniTeam alliance, has allowed his allies to pursue impeachment proceedings against his “vice.” He had frowned upon the move early in his presidency.
The impeachment proceedings may have become tentative, but questions about Sara’s capacity have remained. Her integrity has been questioned, especially by traditional media, and that could affect her candidacy in 2028. This is unlike the questions raised when Digong ran for president, because his supporters successfully cast most of those questions in a positive light, allowing Duterte to win the presidency.
Putting the questions raised by Sara Duterte’s opponents in a positive light has been difficult for the DDS with the older Duterte currently in the faraway Netherlands. This has made BBM bolder when dealing with the DDS. Besides, Sara is not as malleable as other DDS hopefuls when it comes to following the “Dutertismo” doctrine.
Then there is the matter of the non-Duterte-aligned political forces who could make Sara’s political life difficult. There is, for example, the political left, which could put up a presidential bet in 2028. There is currently a push for Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo to aim for the presidency instead of running for reelection. She has yet to declare her presidential candidacy, and yet surveys have started casting their moist eyes on her. Leni is, after all, a former vice president and former presidential candidate.
The Robredo challenge could be Sara’s most daunting because Leni is everything Sara isn’t. While they are both lawyers, Leni’s principles are diametrically opposed to those of Sara. The contrast is clear, especially after Sara underwent impeachment proceedings.
Voters do not usually choose a president who would replicate what former presidents have done. Voters usually choose a president based on the hope that he or she will shape the country for the better. We have already seen what a Duterte presidency looks like. A Sara candidacy that promotes her as Digong Part 2 might look good for the DDS, but it would alienate the growing anti-Duterte forces.