MANILA, Philippines (Updated 5:09 p.m.) — The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan led by Sen. Manny Pacquiao has pulled the plug on its vice chairman, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, and two other officials for supposedly “showing allegiance” to a different political party.
The Pacquiao-led National Executive Council of the ruling party expelled Cusi, Deputy Secretary General Melvin Matibag and membership committee head Astra Naik for backing the potential presidential run of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. Duterte-Carpio is the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, who sits as PDP-Laban’s national chairman.
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A PDP-Laban resolution adopted July 3 focuses largely on Cusi’s backing of Duterte-Carpio for president, noting that he publicly stated that he is open to the possible presidential run of the Davao City mayor and that the party should study partnering her up with her father in the 2022 polls.
It also hit the Cusi-led meeting last May 31 which pushed for the candidacy of Duterte as vice president in next year’s elections, without specifying that his running mate should hail from the party.
“Thus, Vice Chairman Cusi is already manipulating the party to support the Duterte-Duterte tandem which is a blatant admission of supporting Sara Duterte Carpio for president, [even if she] is not a member of the party,” the resolution read.
It continued, “He is guilty of having allegiance to a candidate and her political ideals and party. Such a candidate does not even believe in federalism, her party fielded candidates against and opposed official candidates of PDP-Laban in 2019 elections, and she is vehemently opposed to joining the PDP-Laban party.”
Matibag and Naik were accused of having direct participation in Cusi’s actions, which led to their expulsion.
National council meeting voided
A separate PDP-Laban resolution also voided the national council meeting held last May 31 in Cebu City supposedly because Cusi had no authority under party rules to call for and preside over such a meeting.
This effectively also voided PDP-Laban's call for Duterte to run for vice president, which was formalized during the meeting in Cebu City.
"All acts or resolutions in a void meeting produce no legal effect to bind the party, and at best are mere opinions of some members of the party in the act of violating the PDP-Laban constitution," the resolution read.
The same resolution also declared the call for an assembly on July 17 null.
Meanwhile, another resolution authorized Pacquiao to create committees that would investigate complaints regarding party members and officers who may have violated PDP-Laban's constitution.
Pacquiao's PDP-Laban said the resolutions were issued upon the prodding of some 10,000 grassroots members of the party to punish the "systematic and underhanded effort by some party newcomers and a handful of party officers to sabotage the present leadership, so they may advance a political movement that is against the best interest of our beloved party.”
The rift within the ruling party has been widening since some members called on Duterte to run for vice president, which has been opposed by Pacquiao who has appealed to members to focus on the pandemic first before politics.
But Cusi, in an interview on ANC, said that the divide within PDP-Laban began when Pacquiao was installed as acting president, which surprised some of its members.
Recent weeks have also seen President Duterte as well as Harry Roque, his spokesman, throwing barbs at Pacquiao over a statement that the senator supposedly made that corruption has tripled under Duterte.
Pacquiao has clarified he is not attacking the president, just helping him in the campaign against corruption in government.
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The rift within the ruling party has been widening since some members called on Duterte to run for vice president, which has been opposed by Pacquiao who has appealed to members to focus on the pandemic first before politics.
But Cusi, in an interview on ANC, said that the divide within PDP-Laban began when Pacquiao was installed as acting president, which surprised some of its members.