House Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio believes that Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte has been chosen by his family as an alternate presidential bet to Vice President Sara Duterte.

Tinio gave this reaction Monday, April 13 to Mayor Duterte's designation over the weekend as president of erstwhile ruling party the Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

"Malinaw na may Plan B ang mga Duterte, ito si Baste (Clearly the Dutertes have a Plan B, this is Baste)," Tinio said in a chance interview.

Mayor Duterte was the star of the show, so to speak, during the launch of opposition force "RAGE Coalition" on Sunday, April 12. The coalition is composed of PDP-Laban, Partido Reporma, and Reform PH.

This new coalition was formed amid the impeachment proceedings against the mayor's sister, Vice President Duterte, before the House Committee on Justice.

Tinio says he senses "nervousness" from the Dutertes because of the ongoing impeachment case. 

"Pinapakita na--siguro kabado ang kampo ng Duterte na maaaring ma-impeach at magtuloy-tuloy at ma-convict sa Senado ang Bise Presidente. So mauudlot ang kanyang presidential bid dahil kasama ng impeachment or removal from office ay perpetual disqualification; hindi na pwedeng tumakbo," he said.

(It shows—perhaps the Duterte camp is anxious that the Vice President could be impeached, proceed to trial, and be convicted in the Senate. That would derail her presidential bid, because impeachment or removal from office carries perpetual disqualification; she would no longer be eligible to run.)

"So nandyan ang posibilidad na yan kung magtuloy-tuloy ang impeachment hanggang sa trial at conviction (So that possibility exists if the impeachment continues all the way to trial and conviction)," noted Tinio.

Vice President Duterte announced her intention to run for president in the 2028 national elections last Feb. 18. Five days later, the House of Representatives initiated the 2026 impeachment case against her.

"Kaya ngayon pa lang ay mayroon nang pino-prontang Plan B ang mga Duterte, magpapatakbo sila ng isa pang kandidato at ito ay si Baste. Kaya siya ginawa siyang presidente ng PDP at mayroon pa ngayong binuong coalition. It ay para bigyan ng national platform ang isa pang Duterte," Tinio said.

(That is why, even now, the Dutertes are already presenting a Plan B: they will field another candidate, and that is Baste. He was made president of PDP and a coalition has even been formed. This is meant to give another Duterte a national platform.)

"Pero kailangang malinaw sa atin na pulitika nanaman ito, pangangampanya ng maaga ng isang Duterte (But it must be clear to us that this is politics once again, an early campaign by another Duterte)," he further said.

As early as Sunday, certain PDP-Laban members were already hailing Mayor Duterte as a future president of the country.