First major era (1983–1988) The party now known as PDP–Laban is the result of a merger between the
Partido Demokratiko Pilipino and
Lakas ng Bayan.
Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) was founded on February 6, 1982, in
Cebu City by
Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr. and a group of protesters against the authoritarian government of
Ferdinand Marcos, the
10th president of the Philippines, and his ruling party, the
Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL).
Ribomapil Holganza, then the party's Secretary-General, with the support of the other
Visayas delegates, proposed the name
Katipunan, in honor of the historic Filipino nationalist movement. The convention, however, decided against name proposed by Holganza and decided to retain the name Pilipino Democratic Party. The delegates also created the party's official logo which included the image of
Lapu-Lapu as a symbol of the party's adherence to Filipino individualism. The Lapu-Lapu image continues to be a prominent figure in PDP–Laban's logo to this day. The delegates also decided that the Filipino version
Partido Demokratiko Pilipino may be used alongside the English version
Pilipino Democratic Party. PDP appealed to the non-
communist left. Political scientist
Alex Magno described PDP as "more advanced… in its analysis of Philippine society and the ills that beset it" compared with the mainstream anti-Marcos groups. PDP was also unique at its time for operating "on the basis of organizational initiative rather than, merely on the basis of personal loyalty to politician-personalities"; and for requiring prospective members to attend a seminar to learn the party's ideology.
Merger into PDP–Laban and 1986 snap election In early 1982, talks began between Pimentel Jr. and former senator
Benigno Aquino Jr. on the possible merge of PDP with
Lakas ng Bayan (LABAN; ), the party founded by Aquino in 1978 for the
Interim Batasang Pambansa elections. In a letter sent by Aquino to Senator
Lorenzo Tañada dated March 16, Aquino stressed the "umbrella organization" status of LABAN rather than as a political party, being composed of members coming from other political parties. Furthermore, Aquino thought that the merger was not a wise move, given: 1) LABAN's more established name compared to PDP, which was just recently organized; 2) the aforementioned "umbrella organization" status compared to PDP's nature as a political party, and; 3) that some members of LABAN may find the rules of PDP questionable. However, despite these initial concerns, in February 1983, PDP formally merged with LABAN. The merger was complementary, as PDP was mass-based and had its bailiwick in Visayas and
Mindanao, while LABAN was composed of traditional politicians and had its bailiwick in
Luzon and
Metro Manila. In August 1983,
Aquino was assassinated. This, along with an economic crisis, plunged Marcos' popularity and sparked protests. That same year, in anticipation of a
snap election, influential opposition figures convened to select a common presidential candidate. Pimentel was included in their shortlist of eleven possible standard bearers. However, UNIDO nominated
Salvador Laurel as their presidential candidate. In October 1985,
Chino Roces launched the Cory Aquino for President Movement (CAPM), which aimed to nominate Aquino's widow,
Corazon, as the opposition's presidential candidate. PDP–Laban was a strong supporter of the movement. In November 1985, Marcos called for
a snap presidential election. Later that month, the opposition parties including PDP–Laban formed a new coalition called Laban ng Bayan. Laurel eventually gave way and became Corazon Aquino's running mate under the UNIDO-Laban ng Bayan coalition. In 1988, PDP–Laban was split into two factions: the Pimentel Wing led by Pimentel and the Cojuangco Wing led by
Peping Cojuangco The Cojuangco Wing and the Lakas ng Bansa party of House Speaker
Ramon Mitra, Jr. merged on September 16, 1988, to form the
Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP). After the merger, the prominence of PDP–Laban greatly fell, and the party was not a major party until the
2016 presidential election with the
campaign of eventual winner
Rodrigo Duterte.
1988–2016 In the Senate,
Aquilino Pimentel Jr. had been the person most associated with the party, with him serving multiple terms in the Senate. After he retired, his son
Koko Pimentel won an electoral protest to enter the Senate in 2011. PDP–Laban has become associated with the Binay dynasty of
Makati, with
Jejomar Binay as its mayor and his allies holding the two districts of Makati in the House of Representatives. Other strongholds of the party include
Davao City, where
Rodrigo Duterte won multiple terms as mayor. On July 1, 2015, as part of his bid for the
2016 presidential election, then-
Vice President Binay resigned as party chairman and formed the
United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). Since then, Senator
Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III headed the party as its national president.
Second major era (2016–2021) The party was re-grouping, and there are some movements of expansion especially in
Mindanao, where it originated, particularly in the
Davao region. Two of the party's founders, Crispin Lanorias and Cesar Ledesma, are again active in recent party activities. After the
2016 elections, PDP–Laban signed a coalition agreement with the
Nacionalista Party,
Lakas–CMD,
National Unity Party and the
Nationalist People's Coalition, witnessed by then president-elect
Rodrigo Duterte. Immediately after the May 2016 elections, several
representatives from other parties moved to PDP–Laban, notably:
Geraldine Roman (
Bataan),
Alfred Vargas (
Quezon City), and
Ansaruddin Adiong (
Lanao del Sur). The party's presence in the House of Representatives eventually grew from three members in the
16th Congress, to 123 members in the current
17th Congress. By April 2018, 300,000 politicians had joined the party, according to Koko Pimentel. Reacting to the influx of new members, party founder Nene Pimentel urged members to question the motivations of new incoming politicians and ensure they are interested in the party's ideals. He stated that these new members might only be interested in identifying with the current administration, in order to boost their chances of winning in the upcoming 2019 elections. PDP–Laban plans to learn from the
Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It is set to send some of its members to the CCP's school in
Fujian for "policy training" to learn more on how the party is organized. The Filipino party also established ties with
United Russia, Russia's ruling party, in October 2017. PDP–Laban has also expressed interest in sending a delegation to the
Workers' Party of Korea, which is the ruling party of North Korea. A four-member delegation is set to meet with the North Korean party in July 2018.
2018 leadership crisis On July 23, 2018, the same day as
Duterte's third State of the Nation Address, an internal leadership dispute within the House of Representatives' majority resulted in former president and current Pampanga representative
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo becoming
Speaker of the lower house, replacing Pantaleon Alvarez. The resolution was adopted that same night with 184 voting in favor and 12 abstaining. Arroyo was previously a member of Lakas–CMD, before switching to PDP–Laban in 2017. Some representatives, including Deputy Speaker
Rolando Andaya (
Camarines Sur), had been eyeing to shift towards other political parties after Arroyo's ascendance to the House's leadership. Andaya also had said that some lawmakers might join Lakas–CMD, Arroyo's former party, and merge with Sara Duterte-Carpio's
Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP). Duterte-Carpio denied rumors that members of PDP–Laban were seeking to move into HNP, which is a regional party based in
Davao Region. Succeeding these events, a faction sought to unseat PDP–Laban's high-ranking officials. Willy Talag, president of the party's Makati city council and chair of the membership committee of the NCR Chapter, said during an assembly of the party on July 27 that PDP–Laban's current leaders have committed violations, including holding mass oath-taking of members “without proper basic seminar” and swearing-in officials that are “involved in illegal drugs." The faction elected Rogelio Garcia and Talag as party president and chairman, respectively, removing Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III and Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez from their respective positions. Koko Pimentel dismissed the election of new leaders, disowning the group and assembly, and called the event an "unofficial, unauthorized, rogue assembly using the name of PDP–Laban". Sen. Pimentel, who has personally dismissed the election, together with PDP–Laban vice chairman and Department of Energy Sec. Alfonso Cusi, and Rep. Alvarez have notified members that the supposed national assembly was not officially sanctioned by the party.
2019 general election Months later, on November 30, the
Commission on Elections (COMELEC) released a statement recognizing Pimentel's group as the legitimate leadership of PDP–Laban. Following this, Pimentel has said that his faction will not recognize candidates from the Garcia wing. The party secured three new seats in the Senate after winning the 2019 general election, with
Bato dela Rosa,
Francis Tolentino, and
Bong Go joining the upper house, increasing the number of PDP–Laban senators to five. Meanwhile, the party kept its majority in the House of Representatives, forming a coalition with the Nacionalista Party, Nationalist People's Coalition, Lakas–CMD, some members of the Liberal Party, and several party-lists. In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Manny Pacquiao was installed as party president, replacing Pimentel.
2021 party faction dispute and 2022 election . The current logo included the figure on top of a clenched fist. The Pacquiao-Pimentel wing of the party reused this version of the logo during the 2021 leadership dispute.
Manny Pacquiao was elected to the position of PDP–Laban president in December 2020 under an acting capacity. An internal rift in within the party started in early 2021, when Pacquiao criticized
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's policy regarding the
South China Sea dispute, finding Duterte's response against China's assertions of its claim in the area as lacking. Duterte, also the PDP–Laban chairman, rebuked Pacquiao's criticisms and took offense to a statement attributed to
Pacquiao that his administration was more corrupt than his predecessors. Pacquiao also came into conflict with PDP–Laban vice chairman
Alfonso Cusi. On July 17, 2021, amidst the split between Pacquiao and Cusi, Alfonso Cusi was elected as the party's president in a meeting attended by President Duterte. On September 9, 2021, the Cusi-led faction of PDP–Laban would nominate Duterte as their vice presidential nominee for the
2022 election but without a standard bearer for the presidency. However, during the filing of candidacies, Duterte backed down from running as vice president. On September 19, 2021, the Pacquiao-led Pimentel faction of PDP–Laban formally nominated Pacquiao as their presidential candidate for 2022. During the filing of the candidacy, Pacquiao announced that
Lito Atienza will be his running mate. Both ran under the Osmeña-founded
PROMDI on the ballot. On October 8, 2021, senators Bato dela Rosa and Bong Go filed their candidacy for president and vice president, respectively, as standard bearers for the Duterte-Cusi faction. On November 13, 2021, dela Rosa withdrew his candidacy with Go taking his place as the faction's presidential nominee. One month after, Go also withdrew his candidacy, leaving the Duterte-Cusi faction without a nominee in the 2022 election. On January 21, 2022, the Duterte-Cusi faction announced
Sara Duterte as their adopted candidate for vice president; the Cusi wing later supported her running mate,
Bongbong Marcos, a son of a former President Ferdinand Marcos, on March 22, 2022. The endorsement of Marcos by the Cusi wing is criticized by both Pimentel and the original members of the party as PDP–Laban was established to oppose the Marcos dictatorship. The Pimentel-Pacquiao faction meanwhile maintained that Pacquiao and Atienza are the "genuine" standard bearers of PDP–Laban. On May 5, 2022, PDP–Laban has been declared by the Commission on Elections as the "dominant majority party" for the 2022 elections. The Comelec
en banc made the decision despite the pending leadership dispute within the ruling party. The party's two factions have both applied for accreditation as the dominant majority party, thus, PDP–Laban “shall be treated as one single political party for purposes of determining the dominant majority party," as stated in the COMELEC's Resolution No. 10787 which was promulgated on May 4. In the same issuance, COMELEC also declared the Nacionalista Party (NP) as the "dominant minority party." As the dominant majority, PDP–Laban will be entitled to 5th copy of the election returns and 7th copy of the certificates of canvass, as well as getting preference in the deployment of election watchers.
Post-Duterte administration Following the end of
Rodrigo Duterte's term as president on June 30, 2022, PDP–Laban saw the
departure of its members for the majority
Lakas–CMD or the ruling
Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, which is headed by Duterte's successor,
Bongbong Marcos. On April 19, 2024, during the party's national council meeting held at the
Nustar Resort and Casino in
Cebu City, the Duterte-Cusi faction dropped the "Laban" from its name, reverting to its original name Partido Demokratiko Pilipino. On the same day, it was also announced that it would field incumbent Senators
Ronald Dela Rosa,
Bong Go, and
Francis Tolentino and actor
Phillip Salvador for the
2025 Philippine Senate election. Despite the name change, party vice chairman Alfonso Cusi clarified that "Laban" would be retained in the official party name to avoid complications with the
Commission on Elections in the
2025 elections.
Koko Pimentel, the leader of the opposing faction, criticized the rebranding, suggesting that the Duterte-Cusi faction should have created a new party instead, as he believes their actions aimed to erase the party's identity as a "left-of-center" organization. On September 5, 2024, Davao City Mayor
Sebastian Duterte, son of party chairman Rodrigo Duterte, joined the party as its new member and executive vice chairperson. On September 20, 2024, PDP formally formed an alliance for the
2025 elections with
Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma,
Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan and the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Committee (MRRD-NECC).
Greco Belgica and
Pantaleon Alvarez signed the agreement. In October 2024, the initial senatorial nominees—Ronald Dela Rosa, Bong Go, and Phillip Salvador—filed their candidacies for the Senate. Singer
Jimmy Bondoc, former
Cagayan Economic Zone Authority administrator & CEO
Raul Lambino, and lawyer
Jayvee Hinlo also filed as the additional senatorial candidates representing the party. Independents
Victor Rodriguez,
Rodante Marcoleta, and
Apollo Quiboloy were also added into the lineup, ending up with nine senatorial candidates.
Eric Martinez, the party vice president for Luzon and independent senatorial candidate, opted not to be included in the slate as he intends to "discharge any political bandages." The party launched their senatorial slate's campaign on February 13, 2025, at the
Club Filipino in
San Juan, Metro Manila. On April 10, 2025, pediatrician and content creator
Richard Mata (an independent candidate and Bong Go's uncle) officially joined the slate, completing the "
Duter-Ten" lineup (the word "Duter-Ten" is a portmanteau of "Duterte" and "ten", a reference to a ten PDP candidates approved and supported by the former president Rodrigo Duterte). On May 10, 2025, two days before the midterm elections, former
Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidates
Camille Villar and re-electionist and presidential sister
Imee Marcos were accepted as the party's guest candidates. On July 8, 2025, the
Supreme Court recognized the Cusi-Matibag faction as the legitimate grouping of the PDP. ==Ideology and platform==