PDP-Laban execs buck Speaker’s authority to expel members

MANILA, Philippines — Leaders of the ruling PDP-Laban party said House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has no authority to expel or remove party members.

In a statement, PDP-Laban National Capital Region (NCR) chairman Abbin Dalhani criticized the expulsion or removal of regional presidents by the Speaker, saying it is illegal and contrary to party procedures.

Dalhani stressed that only regional councils, sitting as the organization’s board, has the authority to expel and remove regional presidents.  

Earlier, party originals and regional presidents of the PDP-Laban lambasted Alvarez’s alleged high-handed leadership of the party, including the mass induction of new members without undergoing basic membership training. 

They also assailed the acceptance of members they described as having “bad reputation.”

The officers wanted to formally declare Alvarez as persona non grata, a position that has also been adopted by the Mindanao Area Council composed of six regional presidents from Southern Philippines. 

Raising a collective stance, more than 100 PDP-Laban leaders nationwide said the acceptance of Alvarez’s new recruits must be declared null and void as their membership violated party regulations.

Benito Ranque, energy undersecretary and PDP-Laban secretary-general for Mindanao, supported the stance taken by the participants of PDP-Laban’s recent assembly in Davao City and reiterated the party’s continued commitment and support for the national party leadership and the Duterte administration’s program on peace and order, war on drugs and corruption and the campaign for federalism.