Will Baste Duterte play this role in the next elections?
House Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers party-list said that newly appointed Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP-Laban) president, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Baste Duterte, is “Plan B” for the 2028 presidential elections.
Mayor Baste followed in the footsteps of his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who served as Davao City Mayor for several terms.
The Duterte patriarch was replaced by his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, who declared last February his intention to run for president in the 2028 elections.
Over the weekend, Mayor Baste Duterte was named as the new PDP-Laban President. This political party is chaired by FPRRD.
Based on the report from GMA News Online, Rep. Antonio Tinio stated that the role of Mayor Baste will be the “Plan B” for the 2028 poll.
“Malinaw na may Plan B ang mga Duterte: itong si Baste. Maybe they are anxious that the impeachment proceedings against the Vice President will go on to trial and convict the Vice President before the Senate impeachment court,” the congressman said, adding that VP Sara’s presidential bid might not push through if the impeachment complaint progresses.
Tinio also said that even now, Mayor Baste is being portrayed as the “Plan B” of the Duterte clan, and he claimed that this was the reason why the Davao City Mayor was hailed as the president of PDP-Laban and that they even formed a coalition. He was referring to the Reform Alliance for Good Governance and Accountability (RAGE) Coalition.
“This is to give another Duterte a national platform,” Tinio stressed. He also said that the public should see these moves, which appeared to be a campaign for 2028.
Previously, Sen. Robin Padilla hinted at the possibility of Mayor Baste running for the highest government position in the Philippines.
