CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Former president Rodrigo Duterte and his two sons will run for Senate seats in the 2025 elections, with one of the siblings being pushed to run for President by their mother in 2028, Vice President Sara Duterte announced on Tuesday, June 25.
At the sidelines of the Office of the Vice President’s Pride Reception in Cagayan de Oro, Sara hinted at her possible return as Davao mayor.
She said her youngest brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, was being prodded to seek the presidency in 2028.
(According to my mother, my younger brother Baste Duterte will run for senator, and he will run for President in 2028. She also said that I should return to Davao and run for mayor again.)
She said there has been no discussion of her resigning as Vice President.
“Wala namang ganon usapan (There is no such discussion),” Sara said.
Her frequent mentions and attributions to her mother, Elizabeth Zimmerman, surprised many, considering she stayed away from the limelight and is not known to be involved in directing the political paths of her ex-husband or her children.
Sara’s father and former senator Tito Sotto III, led a senatorial survey by Oculum Research and Analytics in early 2024. Until now, she never spoke about the possibility of her brothers Paolo and Sebastian seeking seats in the Senate.
Paolo, the eldest of the Duterte siblings, is currently the representative of the 1st District of Davao City. Their youngest brother Baste has been leading the so-called Maisug rallies in various provinces, and has been very vocal against the Marcos Jr. administration and its allies.
“Lahat sila (inaudible) na tumakbo eh. Si PRD (Rodrigo), senator. Yung kuya ko, si Paolo Duterte, congressman ngayon, senator. Si Sebastian Duterte,” Sara said.
(They all plan to run. PRD (Rodrigo) for senator. My brother Paolo Duterte, currently a congressman, will run for senator. Then Sebastian Duterte.)
Akbayan said the Vice President’s revelation “reeks of desperation.”
“It’s the final bluff of a fading political dynasty. It is the last gasp by a faltering old man and his offspring to cling to political relevance. With Vice President Sara Duterte out of the Cabinet and stripped of confidential funds, and former President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies nearing potential ICC arrest, the Dutertes are devoid of strategic moves and lack a coherent political project to survive,” Akbayan said in a statement.
“In their panic, they’re trying to bluff through this crisis, but their old tricks are worn out. The public sees through their theatrics. Let’s call this what it is: the Dutertes’ Desperate Slate (DDS). Akbayan’s advice to the Dutertes: Instead of a tired charade, prepare for your inevitable date with justice,” it added.