Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has assumed the position of acting president of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP Laban) party after incumbent president Senator Robin Padilla took a leave of absence from the organization.
In a press statement released yesterday, PDP Laban said Padilla decided to step away from party leadership duties to focus on legislative matters in the upcoming 20th Congress.
Baste Duterte, who serves as the party’s executive vice president, automatically succeeds Padilla based on PDP Laban’s rule of succession.
He is expected to remain as Davao City’s top executive despite his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who was elected mayor, being currently detained in The Hague.
“Sen. Padilla said that he has given his all in campaigning for the party’s candidates in the recently concluded May 2025 polls, and it is now time for him to focus on his duties as a legislator and push for the party’s legislative agenda in the forthcoming 20th Congress,” the party said.
Padilla, nonetheless, assured party members that he remains committed to PDP Laban and loyal to the party’s founding figure and chairman, former President Duterte.
PDP Laban has played a major role in Philippine politics in the past decade, having propelled Rodrigo Duterte to the presidency in 2016.
The party enjoyed widespread influence during Duterte’s administration and backed many local and national candidates aligned with his policies.
Following the 2022 elections, internal divisions within PDP Laban led to a leadership dispute between factions loyal to different key figures. Padilla’s assumption of the presidency had been seen as a move to unify the party under a shared legislative agenda.
Sebastian Duterte’s rise within PDP Laban reflects the continued prominence of the Duterte political clan, particularly in Mindanao.
Despite legal and political challenges facing the elder Duterte, his influence remains significant within the party and among its core supporters.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Robin steps back, Baste takes over as acting PDP Laban president.”
