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Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte along with Senators Bong Go and Robin Padilla.
Sen. Robin Padilla via FB
MANILA, Philippines — The son of detained former President Rodrigo Duterte has been named president of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP-Laban).
Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte has been appointed to the post, according to social media posts by allies including Sen. Bong Go and former party president Sen. Robin Padilla.
The 38-year-old Duterte, son of the former president and brother of Vice President Sara Duterte, recently took his oath as mayor in January.
His path to the mayoralty included serving as vice mayor under his father in 2025, followed by a stint as acting mayor after the elder Duterte was detained at the International Criminal Court over his war on drugs. The former president remains in detention as of writing.
Rodrigo Duterte continues to serve as PDP-Laban chairman.
Sebastian Duterte replaces Padilla, who had been named party president but went on leave in June 2025 to focus on his legislative duties.
PDP-Laban, founded in 1982, emerged as one of the country’s major political parties and played a key role in the opposition movement during the latter years of the Marcos dictatorship. It was later associated with former President Rodrigo Duterte, who used the party as his political vehicle in the 2016 elections.
The party has since undergone internal splits and leadership disputes, particularly after the 2022 elections, with rival factions claiming legitimacy. Despite this, PDP-Laban remains one of the more prominent parties aligned with the Duterte political bloc.
