Koko offers ‘Balik PDP-Laban’ program

MANILA, Philippines — The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan faction, under presidential candidate Sen. Manny Pacquiao and Sen. Koko Pimentel, is offering a “balik PDP-Laban” program for their former members who joined the other party faction.

Pimentel said those who will avail of the offer – most of them from the local levels will still have to go through the process of returning to the original group. Pimentel’s father, the late senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., was one of the founders of the PDP-Laban in 1982.

“It’s all there for those who follow or just join, we have a PDP-Laban program again. But to those leaders in the breakaway, this will not be available,” Pimentel said in a radio interview over dwIZ.

“This is for those who have been issued by CONA (certificate of nomination and acceptance) to legitimize (their candidacy), but they will go through the process. What can be fixed will be fixed, but if it is invalid and you can’t really be a member of the party, those are extreme cases. In order to be remedied, we will try our best, that’s why we have this program,” the senator added.

The Pacquiao-Pimentel group has a rift with the group of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi over the leadership of PDP-Laban. The matter has yet to be resolved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Earlier, Pacquiao said he would welcome any unification talks with the PDP–Laban which has no presidential bet for the May 2022 presidential elections after its candidate, Sen. Bong Go, verbally indicated his intention to withdraw from the race.

PDP-Laban Secretary General Melvin Matibag, who supports the Cusi faction, said Pacquiao’s statement “is clearly misplaced and not properly thought out.”

Matibag maintained Cusi was elected party president under the auspices of President Duterte, the party chairman.

“Secretary Cusi remains as the president of the PDP Laban. He was placed there in an election presided and witnessed by President Rodrigo Duterte as chairman of the Party,” Matibag said in a statement.