Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte announced on Wednesday she will run for president of the Southeast Asian nation of 116 million in 2028.
Duterte, who is embroiled in a bitter feud with President Ferdinand Marcos, was impeached last year only to see the country's Supreme Court throw the case out over procedural issues.
Her announcement comes just days before her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, begins a pre-trial hearing at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands over crimes against humanity allegedly committed as part of a brutal crackdown on drugs.
"I offer my life, my strength, and my future in the service of our nation," the vice president said at a press briefing yesterday where she assailed Marcos's record.
"I am Sara Duterte. I will run for president of the Philippines."
Duterte accused Marcos of corruption in her brief speech, saying he had failed to live up to his word during the short-lived alliance that saw them storm to a landslide victory in the 2022 presidential election.
"In the first few months of our terms, I already saw Bongbong Marcos Jr.'s lack of sincerity regarding the promises made during the campaign, as well as his sworn duty to the nation," the vice president said, using Marcos's nickname.
Michael Henry Yusingco, senior research fellow at the Ateneo Policy Center, told AFP the campaign announcement was a "big risk" but that her solid base of support in family stronghold Mindanao gave her a real advantage.
Philippine presidents are limited to a single six-year term, which eliminates Marcos from the field.
