Will Baste run in 2028? Sara Duterte might have an answer for you.

BASTE. Davao City Mayor Sebastian 'Baste' Duterte takes the witness stand on Day 31 of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on September 29, 2026.

Senate Social Media Unit

'Ang pagtakbo talaga dapat personal na desisyon. Dahil unang-una, hindi basta-basta 'yong trabaho. Pangalawa, hindi madali 'yong kampanya at eleksyon,' the Vice President says

AT A GLANCE

• Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial could impact her political future, potentially barring her from the 2028 presidential election if convicted.
• Davao City Mayor Sebastian 'Baste' Duterte, her younger brother, is considered a potential alternative for the presidency, although he has not confirmed any plans to run.
• Sara Duterte mentioned that their mother suggested she return to Davao City and let Baste handle the national elections, indicating a possible political strategy for the family.

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Her impeachment trial is far from over, but Vice President Sara Duterte might have already dropped a hint about her family’s future political plan.

In case you do not know yet, the Vice President would be removed from her position and barred from running in the 2028 presidential election if she gets convicted in her ongoing impeachment trial.

So it makes sense that she and her family – if this is really the case – is on future-proofing mode.

But who is the alternative to Sara Duterte if worse comes to worst?

Some think Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, the Vice President’s younger brother, could be a good option for the Dutertes. He is visible. The Duterte voting base knows him. He recently appeared in the impeachment trial as a witness. But will he run for president?

“Hindi namin napag-usapan ni Mayor Sebastian Duterte ang pagtakbo niya bilang pangulo (Mayor Sebastian Duterte and I have yet to talk about him running for president),” said Duterte during her Davao City press conference on Tuesday, October 6.

Baste inherited Davao City’s top post from the Vice President. He became the mayor in 2022 after his sister ran for and won the vice presidency. Baste originally ran and won as vice mayor in 2025, but took over the mayoralty since their father could not serve due to his International Criminal Court detention in the Hague, Netherlands.

The Vice President, meanwhile, took over City Hall from their patriarch, former president Rodrigo Duterte, and held it for three non-consecutive times. Essentially, only a Duterte has served as Davao City mayor for nearly 40 years.

And this reign might continue in the next years – regardless of the result of Duterte’s impeachment. Apparently, the Vice President’s mother, the always low-key Elizabeth Zimmerman, might have brokered a future set-up between Duterte and Baste.

“Publicly nabanggit ko sa, siguro sa interview o sa speech ko, na nagsabi talaga ‘yong nanay ko na pinapauwi niya ako ng Davao at si Baste na lang daw ang patakbuhin sa national elections…. Sinabi ng nanay ko, sabi niya, ‘Umuwi ka dito sa Davao.’ Tapos sabi niya, ‘Bahala na si Baste diyan sa national’,” said Duterte.  

(Publicly, I might have mentioned this in an interview or speech that my mother wants me to return to Davao City and let Baste run for the national elections. My mom said, “Come here in Davao City.” Then she said, “Baste will take care of the national.”)

Article VII, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution lists down the requisites for an aspiring president:

• Natural-born Filipino citizen
• Registered voter
• At least 40 years old on the day of election
• Philippine resident for at least 10 years before the election

So far, Baste will tick all of these boxes. He is turning 39 and will be 40 years old by May 2028.

But will we see Baste as a presidential bet? It really all depends on her sister’s ongoing impeachment trial.

“Kasi para sa akin, personal experience ko ito. Ang pagtakbo talaga dapat personal na desisyon. Dahil unang-una, hindi basta-basta ‘yong trabaho. Pangalawa, hindi madali ‘yong kampanya at eleksyon (Because for me, based on personal experience. Running in elections must be a personal decision. Because firstly, the job is hard. Second, the campaigning and election are not easy),” said Duterte. – Rappler.com