Senator Imee Marcos on Wednesday expressed her full support for Vice President Sara Duterte who announced this early that she would be entering the presidential race in 2028, potentially succeeding the former’s estranged brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Senator Marcos, who had a bitter falling out with the President and thereafter allied herself with the Duterte family and the opposition, is certain the VP is the “solution” to the country’s pressing problems, which the current administration has allegedly failed to resolve.

“She is the embodiment of the opposite of this administration; she will provide direction to the country’s lack of direction,” the senator said in Filipino.

“She has the courage and compassion of her father, carrying with her the experience of helping the poor, the needy, and the oppressed. She is the one with the solution,” she added.

Senator Marcos also commended the VP for heeding the clamor of her supporters to run for the highest office — a move, she averred, was a threat to her political opponents.

Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Sotto said the VP’s announcement did not come as a surprise.

“It simply confirms what many knew all along. Although we still need to see by October of 2027 what will transpire,” he told reporters in a message.

In a rare press briefing early Wednesday, Duterte officially announced her plan to run for president in the next elections.

She cited President Marcos’ failure to bring down the prices of basic goods and services, to provide food security, an accessible and quality healthcare system, and to curb crime, terrorism, and illegal drugs as the reasons that prompted her to run for the highest office.

Duterte was Marcos’ ally turned staunchest critic. Coming from the most prominent political families, they formed the UniTeam that won a landslide victory in the 2022 polls.

But signs of a fracture began to show less than two years later.

In June 2024, their strained ties became official when Duterte as secretary of the Department of Education left the Marcos Cabinet.

Their broken alliance deepened after Marcos’ allies in Congress launched a probe into Duterte’s misuse of confidential funds and initiated her impeachment. The administration also surrendered her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, to the International Criminal Court in The Hague to face trial for crimes against humanity tied to his bloody drug war.

Legit opposition getting ready

For the legitimate opposition, Senator Risa Hontiveros said they will likely announce their standard-bearer by the end of the year or in the first quarter of 2027, as preparations for the next polls are still ongoing.

“All I can say is that, as of 2026, reform-minded and opposition forces are focused on building a stronger unity to choose our candidates, whether by the end of the year or the first quarter of next year,” Hontiveros said in a media briefing.

Nevertheless, she maintained that the qualifications for the opposition’s bet remained the same, adding that it’s crucial their standard-bearer shares “common values” with the opposition, including a firm commitment to fighting corruption, promoting good governance, and defending the national sovereignty.

Hontiveros herself has been floated as a potential candidate for president, which she said she is considering. She added, however, that the opposition has yet to officially reach a consensus on whom they will endorse as their bet.