Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Darylle Sarmiento

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Former Senate President Franklin Drilon is urging the opposition to unite behind a single candidate for the 2028 presidential elections in order to remain competitive.“Agree and choose a ‘common candidate.’”Drilon made the remark during the Q&amp;A portion dubbed “FRANKAHAN” at the book launch of &quot;Being Frank: A Memoir&quot;, held in Makati City on Monday, when asked who the official opposition candidate would be for the 2028 presidential election.“In my view, we need a single candidate and the difficulty of our situation is that we have no mechanism, we have no political party system. We have no convention to come up with that process, to come up with that decision of having a single candidate,” Drilon said.He said the opposition would be wiser to settle on one candidate, stressing that the decision should be made as early as possible.“Unless we take things seriously, early enough and in my view we should go through the process of choosing a common candidate,” said Drilon.Drilon added that all those not affiliated with or identified as part of the administration should begin discussions on who will represent the opposition.“All those today who are interested in 2028 who are not identified with the administration, should come to agreement that whoever is chosen in a process which we all agree on, which we all should agree on, then that should be the common candidate,” Drilon said.Speaking candidly, Drilon acknowledged that Vice President Sara Duterte remains, for now, the strongest potential presidential candidate for the 2028 race.“Let’s face it, Sara Duterte is the strongest candidate in so far as 2028 is concerned,” explained Drilon.As of now, no definite opposition candidate has been identified for the 2028 presidential elections.Drilon emphasized that his statements reflect his personal views and do not represent the official position of the opposition as a whole.He also said he views the impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as politically motivated events leading up to the 2028 elections.“Let me tell you that I view the present events or episodes in the impeachment of the vice president and the president as a prelude related to the presidential election in 2028,” Drilon said.Drilon has long been a key figure in the Liberal Party of the Philippines and a prominent voice of the opposition during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Former Senate President Franklin Drilon is urging the opposition to unite behind a single candidate for the 2028 presidential elections in order to remain competitive.

Former Senate President Franklin Drilon is urging the opposition to unite behind a single candidate for the 2028 presidential elections in order to remain competitive.

Drilon says opposition should agree on common candidate for 2028 polls

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Nation

Drilon says opposition should agree on common candidate for 2028 polls

Darylle Sarmiento,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 09, 2026 09:08 PM PHT

Read More:

Franklin Drilon

2028 elections

opposition

common candidate

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.