Sara Duterte’s 2028 presidential bid won’t scare solons into pushing impeachment — Abante

Vice President Sara Duterte’s announcement of her intent to run for president in 2028 will not scare or discourage his colleagues in the House of Representatives to pursue impeachment complaints against her, according to House Committee on Human Rights chairman Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. 

Abante, who endorsed the fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte, even described the Vice President's early presidential positioning as a “blessing in disguise” for whoever runs against her.

“Sa akin personally hindi ako natatakot sa an announcement niya. In fact sa kanyang napakaagang announcement… it might be a blessing in disguise,” the lawmaker said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

The lawmaker further said Duterte’s early announcement of her political plan would prematurely put her under intense public scrutiny at a time when voters are demanding transparency and accountability.

“Hindi naman siguro matatakot ang karamihan ng mga congressman sa kanyang pag-declare kasi ang pinag-uusapan impeachment complaint, hindi naman ‘yung 2028 kung ‘di ‘yung 2026 ang pinag uusapan natin dito ‘yung posisyon niya ngayon," Abante said. 

(It does not seem the majority of congressmen are afraid with her declaration, since we are talking about the impeachment complaint, not 2028 but 2026 and her position right now.)

Abante, along with House Deputy Speaker and La Union 1st District Rep. Paolo Ortega V, endorsed the fourth impeachment complaint against the Vice President that was filed on Wednesday night and transmitted to Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III on Thursday.

The latest impeachment complaint accused her of alleged betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, among others.

This was mainly over the alleged misuse of P612.5 million of confidential funds and the Vice President’s alleged threat to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his immediate family in a livestreamed press briefing in November 2024.

Winnable but not unbeatable

Abante said that “if elections were held today, the Vice President would be winnable.”

“But winnable does not mean unbeatable,” he added.

At the same forum, former Albay congressman Joey Salceda described Duterte's "early" announcement of her presidential run as “ill-advised” and “misguided” political gamble.

Salceda, who backed Duterte’s vice presidential campaign and then Vice President and now Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo’s presidential bid in 2022, said the move was “premature” as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. still has two years left in his term. 

“I think, though I am not an adviser, it leaves a bad in the mouth [and] ill-advised to announce your candidacy in the midst of an impending complaint,” the former House ways and means chairman said. “I think it is a misguided gamble."

Salceda, meanwhile, was mum when asked for his comment on rumors that Robredo, a fellow Bicolano, is being considered to run for the presidency in 2028. Robredo has stated that she is focused on her duties as mayor and is not thinking about the upcoming elections at this time. —RF/VBL, GMA Integrated News