Like a card player spotting a royal flush in her hand, Vice President Sara Duterte sized up the table and shoved her chips all in on 18 February.

The move was seen as a skillful maneuver to grab the upper hand after being slapped yet again with impeachment complaints by her House foes amid her escalating feud with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and her father’s woes at the International Criminal Court.

Her recent survey numbers showed a steady path to the presidency despite the heavy flak from her opponents. Instead of weighing her down, VP Duterte feeds on the criticism to strengthen her popularity.

The support is particularly unassailable in her Mindanao base.

Her announcement, two and a half years before the 2028 polls, reshuffled the entire political deck.

A political analyst termed it a strategic move to gain control of the narrative this early in the run-up to the crucial presidential race.

The public debate has thus shifted from “how will the fresh impeachment bid turn out?” to “who can defeat Sara Duterte in 2028?” From the allegations against her, the discussions have shifted to her leadership.

“Now, whatever criticism is thrown at her, she can say it’s political because she has already declared,” according to the pundit.

The move is particularly interpreted as a counteroffensive against her inconsolable detractors, particularly those in the House of Representatives pushing for her impeachment over allegations of corruption and misuse of confidential funds.

Declaring her early candidacy coincided with the filing of a fourth impeachment complaint, allowing the proceedings to be portrayed as a partisan effort to disqualify her from the 2028 race.

Presenting herself as a victim of political maneuvering resonates with her supporters, undermining the credibility of her accusers.

The heaviest impact of the gambit is on House members who maintain political ambitions beyond 2028 and now face the dilemma of ousting VP Duterte and the likelihood of failure.

A House leader admitted the announcement introduces “uncertainty” in the voting for impeachment, as lawmakers weigh an alliance with a potential future president against backing a lame duck administration.

Congressmen are weighing the VP Duterte dare — that impeaching her could backfire politically in the long term.

The analyst, however, said the move by VP Duterte risks losing momentum, as it goes against the playbook of her father, the former president, for creating a public clamor.

“The build-up seemed lost. She went to the podium; even the reporters didn’t know that she was releasing a bombshell,” the expert said.

The move was likened to a poker bluff to force her opponents to fold.

This preemptive strike allows her to consolidate resources, raise funds and build a narrative around anti-corruption and continuity, though it exposes her to prolonged scrutiny over the scandals she’s involved in.

Nonetheless, the bold play will serve as a litmus test for alliances, prompting some to hedge their bets by delaying or softening their support for her impeachment.

The make-or-break strategy has transformed a defensive position into an offensive one, advancing the election fever by several years.