Vice President Sara Duterte is “seriously considering” running in the 2028 presidential elections.

Vice President Sara Duterte (MB File Photo)

This was what she told supporters during a meet-and-greet in Tokyo, Japan over the weekend.

“Yes, ma’am! We are seriously considering,” she answered when asked about the possibility of her running in 2028.

The SMNI News video of the meet was reposted by pro-Duterte groups.

While there was no mention of what position she plans to seek, Duterte is a frontrunner in presidential preferential surveys for 2028.

But dissimilar to her vice presidential run in 2022 when she enjoyed a huge margin over her opponents, the official now shares the top spot with Senator Raffy Tulfo.

When the audience applauded and cheered her response, Duterte expressed belief “that our country will be great.”

However, the Vice President also admitted that the road ahead will be difficult.

“Mahirap ‘yung kailangan natin gawin kasi (What we need to do is hard because) you really have to stand firm especially with government policies para maayos sya pero paniwala ko kung magkaisa lang ‘yung mga tao alam natin kung saan tayo papunta, magagawa ng ating bayan (so it’ll be fine but it’s my belief that if people are united where we’re going, our country can do it),” she said.

Duterte is also well-aware of the task at hand so when someone commented that they need to make sure she will not be cheated in the polls, she replied that candidates need to guard their votes.

The official met her supporters in Ginza, Tokyo more than a week after they staged a rally at the famed Shibuya crossing in Tokyo to show their support.

According to Duterte's office, her visit to Japan last weekend was a "private trip". She is back home on Monday, Jan. 13.