Senator Bam Aquino on Thursday announced that he will not run for vice president in the 2028 elections, responding to speculation about a possible tandem with Vice President Sara Duterte.
“I will not run for Vice President in 2028,” Aquino said in a social media post.
The announcement came after an article featuring an interview with former Akbayan Party-list Representative and former spokesperson of former Vice President Leni Robredo, Barry Gutierrez.
In the piece, Gutierrez criticized Aquino’s earlier statement suggesting that cases involving alleged extrajudicial killings during then-President Rodrigo Duterte’s term should “ideally” be handled in local courts.
“Kung ang intention niyan ay ligawan o parang magpalambot ng puso ng mga supporters ng mga Duterte, malabo ‘yun dahil kung presidente ang kanyang hinahabol, nag-declare na si VP Sara,” Gutierrez said, arguing that Aquino’s approach would be ineffective given Duterte’s already declared presidential bid.
Vice President Duterte officially announced her 2028 presidential plans on Wednesday.
Aquino, who earned the second-highest number of votes in the 2025 Senate elections despite early surveys showing he was not consistently part of the “Magic 12,” clarified his position to dispel speculation about his political plans.