Raffy Tulfo nixes possible presidential or VP run: ‘Final answer’

MANILA, Philippines—It’s final. Sen. Raffy Tulfo will not run for president in 2028.

Tulfo himself said this on Tuesday, after he tied with Vice President Sara Duterte at 46 percent, if they will run against each other, based on a new Pulse Asia survey conducted from February 27 to March 2.

“Well, first of all, with all humility, I’m grateful for the trust. But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I have no plans to run for president in 2028,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

“However, I believe I’m doing very well as senator and I can do a lot more as senator. Therefore, you can expect that I will be a re-electionist in 2028,” he said.

The senator gave an emphatic “no” when pressed about the possibility that he would still change his decision, given his high ratings in the surveys.

“Final answer,” Tulfo later stressed.

Even if his numbers surpass Duterte’s, the answer is still no, according to the senator.

“Even if it goes all the way up to the heavens, the answer is still no,” he said.

He explained that there is also no reason for him to seek a higher office when he can serve the people even as a senator.

“And then, I don’t want to make the same mistakes that other elected officials made,” he noted.

“Some of them are first-termers, and after their first term, they immediately run for a higher office or position and end up failing,” he recalled.

Tulfo likewise rejected the possibility of running for vice president, saying he is already happy at the Senate.

This is not the first time that Tulfo and even his brother, Sen. Erwin Tulfo, shot down the idea of running for higher posts.

Just last month, Raffy Tulfo declared that he would not seek the presidency or vice presidency “now and in the future” amid calls from some people in the private sector. /apl

NOTE: The English translations in the article were AI-generated.