Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed in an interview last week that the PDP-Laban party, led by her father former President Rodrigo Duterte, is determined to convince her to run for president in 2028 and serve as their standard-bearer.
According to Duterte, several members of the party have been urging her to join, but she chose not to because she does not want to “makipag-plastikan” (be fake) with certain politicians.
“Ang masigasig talaga at… intent ay PDP(Laban), halos linggo-linggo nila ako(ng) kinakausap at iniimbita na sumali sa partido nila,” Duterte said.
She added: “At naisip ko na tama na rin siguro ‘yun na hindi na ako sumali ng partido pagkatapos ko umalis ng Lakas, that way hindi ako kailangan makipag-plastikan sa mga pulitiko.”
As for the possibility of turning her own party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), into a national political party, Duterte said it is not impossible, but for now, it will remain a regional party in Davao Region, their family’s political stronghold.
“Ang Hugpong ng Pagbabago, ang HNP is still a regional party for Davao Region and andun pa rin ako mag-isa kasama si Mayor Al David-Uy, dalawa lang po kami dun,” she explained.
Speculation has long persisted about tensions between VP Duterte and Senator Bong Go, one of PDP-Laban’s current leaders and her father’s former aide. The reported rift is believed to have influenced her decision not to run for president in 2022, opting instead to run for vice president and later forming a tandem with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. under the UniTeam alliance.