Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. has made it clear he will not support Vice President Sara Duterte's presidential ambitions, declaring that her early announcement of a 2028 presidential bid is "not a defense" against the grave allegations in the impeachment complaints filed against her.
Abante, who endorsed the fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte filed on February 18, 2026, warned that her premature political positioning could backfire and become a "blessing in disguise" for her potential opponents.
"Candidacy announcements do not erase accountability. Running for president is not a defense to grave allegations," Abante said in an online interview. "We're not talking about 2028. This is about 2026, about whether the vice president remains fit to hold the second-highest office in the land."
The impeachment complaint, centered on alleged unexplained wealth, misuse of confidential funds, and betrayal of public trust, goes to "the very heart of public trust," according to Abante, who chairs the House Committee on Human Rights.
Questioning Fitness for Office
Abante challenged Duterte to demonstrate transparency and integrity if she has "nothing to hide."
"My request to the Vice President is this: if she has nothing to hide, if everything she did was aboveboard, then she should say so," Abante stated during a Saturday media forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City. "She should be transparent, accountable, and show integrity so the people will know if she is fit to become President."
While acknowledging that Duterte might be "winnable" in an election, Abante emphasized that "winnable does not mean unbeatable," noting that "2028 is still more than two years away. Many things can still happen."
The Manila solon cited ongoing governance reforms under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the administration's exposure of alleged irregularities in flood control projects as factors that could shape voter sentiment against the vice president.
"Do we still want a president whose relatives are all in politics? Or do we want a president who, even if she has relatives in politics, shows real concern, passion, and compassion for the country? That is what I believe the people want to see," Abante said, alluding to discussions on political reforms including the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act.
Controversial Rise to Congress
Abante's current position as a congressman with the power to influence impeachment proceedings comes after a controversial legal victory that saw him proclaimed winner of the Manila 6th District congressional race despite initially losing in the May 2025 elections.
In the official count, Joey Uy received 65,746 votes while Abante garnered 63,358 votes — a margin of approximately 2,400 votes. However, Abante successfully petitioned the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to disqualify Uy on grounds that he was not a "natural-born Filipino citizen" as required by the Constitution.
The Comelec Second Division ruled on June 18, 2025, that Uy's father was still a Chinese citizen at the time of Uy's birth in 1962, and only became naturalized in 1967. This meant Uy derived his citizenship from his father's later naturalization rather than being a natural-born citizen, rendering him ineligible for Congress under Article VI, Section 6 of the 1987 Constitution.
The constitutional provision states: "No person shall be a Member of the House of Representatives unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines and, on the day of the election, is at least twenty-five years of age, able to read and write, and, except the party-list representatives, a registered voter in the district in which he shall be elected, and a resident thereof for a period of not less than one year immediately preceding the day of the election."
The Comelec declared Abante — "the only qualified candidate who garnered the highest number of votes" — as the duly elected representative. The decision became final and executory on July 7, 2025, when the Comelec en banc issued a certificate of finality, and Abante was formally proclaimed by the City Board of Canvassers of Manila on July 8, 2025.
Political Alliance Shifts
Abante's vocal opposition to Duterte marks a significant shift in political alliances. Duterte announced her presidential bid on February 18, 2026, ending years of speculation about her political future. Initially elected as vice president in 2022 under the "Uniteam" alliance with President Marcos, relations deteriorated over time.
Duterte resigned from Lakas-CMD in May 2023 and stepped down as education secretary in June 2024 following congressional investigations into alleged irregularities in the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education's confidential fund expenditures.
The investigations, along with Duterte's statements about allegedly talking with someone about killing President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez if she gets killed, formed the basis of earlier impeachment complaints.
Impeachment Momentum
Abante expressed confidence that the House of Representatives has "more than enough" votes to pursue the impeachment against Duterte, despite her presidential announcement.
"It might be a blessing in disguise for whoever runs against her. She announced early, and that would put her in a position where she will be further exposed. Many questions will be asked of her, particularly about the impeachment complaint," Abante said.
Former Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, who publicly supported Duterte in the 2022 elections, called her early presidential announcement "a misguided gamble," suggesting it could weaken her position amid the ongoing impeachment proceedings.
As the impeachment process moves forward, Abante maintained that the issues must be faced squarely: "Impeachment exists for exactly this situation – when a public official's actions raise serious questions of integrity, legality and fitness to serve."
With multiple impeachment complaints filed and political tensions running high, the coming months will test both Duterte's political future and the strength of the current administration's resolve to hold the vice president accountable for the allegations against her.
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