Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has firmly stated that former President Rodrigo Duterte cannot run for president again in 2028, citing the 1987 Constitution’s explicit ban on presidential reelection.
In an interview with Brigada News FM Manila, Carpio emphasized that the Constitution clearly prohibits a president from serving more than one term.
However, Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez has challenged this view. Alvarez, a former House Speaker, argued that the constitutional ban only applies to sitting presidents seeking reelection, not to former presidents. He suggested that Duterte could run again in 2028 if his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, is removed from office via impeachment.
Alvarez compared the situation to senators who, after serving their term limits, can take a break before running again.
Article VII, Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution states that a president is not eligible for reelection and cannot seek the same position after serving more than four years.
