A graphic featuring a “news update” claiming Vice President Sara Duterte has backpedaled out of fear on her earlier announcement that she will run for president in 2028 is going viral on TikTok. This is not true.
Published on April 28, the graphic bore a photo of Duterte along with the text:
“SARA DUTERTE, NAG BAGO NA RAW ANG KANYANG DESISYON AT HINDI NA RAW SYA TATAKBO SA DARATING NA 2028 ELECTION DAHIL NATATAKOT RAW SYA
(Sara Duterte has allegedly changed her decision and will no longer run in the upcoming 2028 election because she is reportedly afraid).”
Duterte did not make any announcement or statement regarding her alleged withdrawal from the 2028 presidential race, based on a quick check of her official and personal social media pages and those of the Office of the Vice President. A cursory search of the claim showed no news report or statement from credible sources substantiating any change in her plans to seek the presidency.
In an interview published on Alvin and Tourism’s Facebook page on May 4, Duterte described herself as a “presumptive candidate” for the next presidential election after announcing her intention to run.
A reverse image search showed that Duterte’s photo featured in the TikTok post was originally published on Sept. 18, 2025 after she attended a House hearing on the OVP’s 2026 budget.
While the presidential election is still two years away, Duterte declared on Feb. 18 her intention to run for president in the 2028 elections, following the filing of multiple impeachment complaints against her.
On May 4, the House Committee on Justice unanimously approved its committee report finding probable cause in the two impeachment complaints against Duterte, along with a resolution on the Articles of Impeachment. The report will be transmitted to the plenary for voting by the 318-member chamber, bringing it a step closer to a Senate trial that could have a bearing on her 2028 presidential bid.
The graphic with the untrue claim, uploaded by TikTok account ph.news.update2026, amassed 158,700 reactions; 2,887 comments and 1.2 million views as of writing.
