The Vice Mayor-elect of Davao City Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has been appointed acting president of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban). He is leading it on an interim basis after Senator Robin Padilla left as party president.
According to Padilla, he decided to take a break from party leadership to focus his time on being a senator. One of his goals is also to push the party's legislative bills at the opening of the 20th Congress.
In his letter to Party Vice Chairman Alfonso Cusi, Padilla said he will remain loyal to PDP-Laban and to former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, who is the party chairman.
Baste Duterte won as Vice Mayor of Davao City in the May 2025 elections, so he is expected to have enough support and experience to handle a new responsibility within the party.
This step is part of the reorganization and strengthening of PDP-Laban for its next political plans under the new leadership.
