Vice President Sara Duterte's opponents in the 2028 Palace race are still unknown, but Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. says the early declaration of her election plans could serve as a "blessing in disguise" for her rivals.

Speaking at the media forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City, on Saturday, Feb. 21, Abante--who endorsed the fourth impeachment complaint against the Vice President--said the latter's early declaration of her presidential ambition could backfire.

“It might be a blessing in disguise dun sa lalaban sa kanya. At pangalawa, nag-announce siya ng maaga. That would put her in a place in which mae-expose lalo siya. Maraming katanungan ang tatanungin sa kanya, particularly ang impeachment complaint,” he said.

(It might be a blessing in disguise for those who will run against her. And secondly, she announced early. That would put her in a position where she will be exposed more. Many questions will be asked of her, particularly regarding the impeachment complaint.)

Abante, the lead chairman of the House quad-committee (quad-comm) 2.0, maintained that if the elections were held today, the Vice President would be a winnable bet.

However, he underscored that “winnable does not mean unbeatable”. The pastor-solon also said Duterte was not the invincible candidate many assume her to be.

Amid imminent impeachment proceedings for the second time in as many years, Duterte declared hia intention to run for the presidency in the May 2028 elections last Feb. 18.

Abante says that the 2028 polls are more than two years away, and that political dynamics can still shift. "Marami pang mangyayari (A lot of things can still happen,” he stressed.

The Manila legislator noted that current national issues — including the administration’s governance reforms and President Marcos' exposure of alleged irregularities in flood control projects — could significantly influence voter sentiment.

“Naniniwala po ako na sa problema ng ating bayan ngayon, when the President exposed the corruption, naging transparent tayo sa mga bagay na ito. Palagay ko may mga pagbabago na mangyayari sa 2028,” he said.

(I believe that with the problems our nation faces today, when the President exposed corruption, we became more transparent in these matters. I think changes will happen by 2028.)

He also cited ongoing discussions on political reforms, such as the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Law being pushed by the Marcos administration.

“Do we still want a president na kung lahat ng mga kamag-anak ay nasa politics? Or do we still want a president na kahit may kamag-anak siya pero nakikita natin na talagang siya ang concern niya, ang passion niya, ang compassion niya para sa bayan? ‘Yun ang nais makita, palagay ko, ng taong bayan natin,” Abante said.

(Do we still want a president whose entire family is in politics? Or do we want a president who, even if they have relatives in politics, shows genuine concern, passion, and compassion for the nation? That, I believe, is what our people want to see.)