This handout photo from Partido Demokratiko Pilipino shows former President Rodrigo Duterte speaking at the party's anniversary and national council meeting in Cebu City on Apr. 18, 2024. PDP-Laban Facebook page 

MANILA — Sen. Robinhood Padilla is set to become the next party president of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino said on Saturday.

While the formal election of party officials has yet to be held, Padilla is the frontrunner for the post and the expected pick, while former President Rodrigo Duterte will remain as party chairman, Tolentino said on “Anong Ganap?” on Teleradyo Serbisyo.

“Ang presidente na ngayon ng PDP ay si Sen. Robinhood Padilla na… Hindi naman siya re-electionist kaya medyo maalwan ang kaniyang katayuan,” he said.

(The president of PDP now is Sen. Robinhood Padilla. He is not seeking reelection in 2025, so he is in a more comfortable position.)

Of the four PDP members at the Senate, Tolentino and Sens. Ronald dela Rosa and Bong Go are expected to run for reelection in the 2025 midterm polls.

Tolentino said the party presidency will still need to be formalized in elections, but that Padilla is already the ranking party official as PDP’s executive vice president.

Padilla in May 2023 announced he had resigned from that post to focus on his work as a senator.

READ: Robin Padilla resigns as PDP-Laban executive VP

Tolentino said he is not privy if the party would retain other officials.

PDP’s current president is Palawan Rep. Jose Alvarez.

In February, Alvarez expressed support to keep Tacloban Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez as Speaker after Duterte slammed the President’s cousin and described the House of Representatives as the “most rotten institution.”

In April, Alvarez said that Duterte should “not involve” PDP in his call for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to undergo a drug test after he alleged that the President uses illegal drugs.