VP Sara declines to campaign for Marcos, Duterte allies in 2025 elections

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday said she no longer has any interest in serving in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Cabinet “in other capacities.”

She also said that she has declined the invitations from Marcos and her own father to campaign for their respective senatorial slates for the 2025 elections, adding that she has yet to determine the direction of her interests.

Before resigning, Duterte said Marcos invited her to a meeting where he asked her to help the administration field senatorial candidates to a successful bid.

“I think President Marcos will also confirm this… I told him I will not participate yet in the midterm elections,” Duterte told reporters.

She also said that she met her father “by chance” and was asked to campaign for the senatorial candidates of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino, the former president’s political party.

“I also told him that I would not participate in the midterm elections. I still need to think about my direction for the midterm elections that’s why I can’t give an answer yet to the two of them on what I’ll be doing,” Duterte said in Filipino.

Duterte revealed that she has scheduled a meeting with Sens. Bong Go and Ronald dela Rosa after Marcos’ State of the Nation Address “to sit down and have a heart-to-heart among the three of us.”

The vice president’s involvement in the midterm elections may be sought after in some quarters as, aside from her current political capital, she also founded the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, which met great success during the last midterm senatorial elections. – Marc Jayson Caybyab, Bella Cariaso