Baste Duterte has officially taken over as president of PDP Laban.
Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte has been named as the president of PDP Laban, marking the end of his stint as acting head.
Last year, the president of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) Laban, Senator Robin Padilla, took leave from the party’s presidency. Accordingly, he took a step back and will focus on his duties as a legislator in the 20th Congress.
“With this development, Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, who is the PDP Laban executive vice president, will assume the party’s presidency based on the rule of succession in the party constitution,” the PDP Laban said in a statement.
As he stepped back, he assured members he would remain committed and loyal to the PDP Laban and its chairman, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Recently, after months of acting as the head of the party, Duterte, who currently serves as mayor of Davao City, assumed the position officially and formally. This appointment formalized his leadership, a transition that is in line with the party’s internal structure.
With his formal appointment, Duterte is expected to lead PDP-Laban as it undergoes reorganization and gears up for upcoming political developments, including the 2028 national elections. His leadership is also viewed as a continuation of the Duterte bloc’s influence within the party.
“The Mayor of Davao City has been officially appointed as President of PDP-Laban! Brother of the Vice President and son of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Long live Mr. Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte!!” the senator said as the transition was made official.
This formality was made 10 months after Padilla stepped back.
Meanwhile, Baste was elected vice mayor in the May 2025 elections but later assumed his father’s position after the latter was detained at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The former president is facing charges of crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s war on drugs.
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