Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed on Wednesday that discussions are underway regarding a potential running mate for her 2028 presidential campaign, but the individual has not yet decided to join her ticket.
“Hindi ko muna pag-uusapan ‘yung running mate, sir, dahil meron akong nire-recruit. Hindi pa siya nakapag-decision. So kailangan natin siya protektahan. Dahil baka siya na naman ‘yung aatakihin at sisirain ang pangalan. So let’s protect … his or her privacy para sila ay makapagdesisyon,” Duterte said during an interview in Iligan City.
Duterte made the remarks while visiting flood-affected communities and noted that no political parties or groups have formally reached out for coalition discussions since she announced her presidential intentions, indicating that alliance-building is still in its early stages.
She declined to comment on publicly speculated tandem combinations and offered a brief response regarding recent meetings between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former Vice President and now-Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo:
“Good luck.”
No further details were provided on whether these interactions could affect political alignments ahead of the 2028 elections.