Sen. Robin Padilla Speaks on Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte Who Is Now PDP-Laban’s President
BASTE DUTERTE – Senator Robin Padilla seemingly hinted at a possible presidential run of the Davao City Mayor after his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte.
In 2025, Sen. Robin Padilla took his leave from being the president of the PDP-Laban. Then, he cited his legislature duties as the reason behind his decision. The actor-turned-Senator said he wants to focus in his duties as a lawmaker in the country.
The chairman of PDP-Laban is former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte who is currently detained under the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands. In 2025, when Duterte was flown abroad, Padilla was one of the first government officials to fly to The Netherlands.
Then, Sen. Robin Padilla claimed that he’s worried over the senatorial candidates of the PDP-Laban amid Duterte’s detention abroad. He wanted to talk to the former President inside the ICC detention center but the foreign court is strict with regards to visitations.
So far, only the Duterte family members and his lawyers were allowed by the ICC to visit former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte inside the detention facility. Davao Congressman Paolo Duterte, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, Davao Mayor Baste Duterte, and Kitty Duterte are taking turns in visiting their father in The Hague.
Recently, Davao Mayor Baste Duterte took the position of president of the PDP-Laban. During the launching of the Reform Alliance for Good Governance and Accountability or the RAGE coalition, Sen. Robin Padilla is one of those who spoke before the members of the political party.
According to Sen. Padilla, he has prayed for so long that a member of the Duterte family will be the one to lead the PDP-Laban. He stressed that no one can allegedly better lead their political party than a Duterte.
“Dumating po ‘yung panahon na nangyari na ang ating pong pangulo, ay si Baste. Alam niyo, ang tagal ko pong dinasal ito. Dahil walang pinakamagandang mamuno sa atin kundi isang Duterte,” the Senator said based on a post of Abante.
Furthermore, based on the post, Sen. Robin Padilla also hinted at a possible future presidential run of Davao Mayor Baste Duterte. According to him, the Philippines will allegedly not only have VP Inday Sara as president of the country but as well as the now-Davao Mayor.
“Kung meron tayong future president na Inday Sara Duterte, magkakaroon din tayo ng future president pa na Baste Duterte,” Padilla expressed.
Previously, amid the criticisms against former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Atty. Rowena Guanzon for expressing her support to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, Sen. Robin Padilla claimed that former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte and the PDP-Laban are allegedly “original dilaw”.