CESAR Ledesma, co-founder of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), a ruling political party in the Philippines, died on Tuesday morning, October 16, at Davao Doctors Hospital. He was 72.

Ledesma co-founded PDP-Laban in 1981 with former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Reuben Canoy, and the late Davao City mayor Zaf Respicio, among other Mindanao leaders.

He also served as former Davao City administrator and one of the pioneering non-governmental organization leaders in the city and has worked closely with President Rodrigo Duterte's mother Soledad Duterte.

Ledesma was leading the reactivation of Lihuk Pederal Dabaw in the past three years. Lihuk-Pederal Dabaw was one of the country's pioneer groups advocating for federalism.

He was also involved in many developmental projects such as the Technical Assistance Center for the Development of Rural and Urban Poor (Tacdrup) and Konsumo Dabaw.