Vice President Sara Duterte broke her silence on Tuesday with a striking explanation for her early presidential declaration, saying she was forced to move ahead of schedule not by political calculus, but by what she described as relentless attacks aimed at tearing down her reputation.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Iligan City, Duterte said she advanced her announcement by several months to confront what she called “black propaganda” and a sustained effort to discredit her.
“Marami ang mga politiko na hindi nag-declare dahil natatakot sila na siraan sila… Nakita n’yo na, nag-file na ang impeachment last year. Tapos na-file na naman ang impeachment ngayon. At makita ninyo sa timeline, nagsimula lahat 2023 pa lang sa paninira at sa demolition job,” she said.
Duterte said her original plan was to go public with her 2028 bid in the last quarter of 2026, but the difference in timing had become negligible given the political climate.
“In fact, less than 10 months kasi last quarter is October magsisimula eh. So, less than 10 months na lang. Wala nang diperensya ’yun, actually, kung oras ang pag-uusapan,” she said.
She added that the decision to run had already been settled as early as the fourth quarter of 2025, following what she described as a period of prayer, reflection, and deliberate consideration.
Duterte also distanced her announcement from the impeachment complaint currently pending in the House of Representatives, saying the two developments were unrelated.
Her early declaration, she stressed, was a deliberate move to seize control of the narrative and confront political attacks head-on, rather than allow what she views as misinformation to shape public perception.
