Comelec declares Cusi group as 'true, official' PDP-Laban
MANILA, Philippines (Update 2 3:07 p.m.) — The Commission on Elections recognized the faction led by Energy chief Alfonso Cusi as the legitimate party representative of the PDP-Laban.
In a resolution issued Friday, the poll body’s special second division recognized the Cusi-led faction as the “true and official members” of the ruling party. President Rodrigo Duterte is the chair of the said wing.
The other PDP-Laban faction is led by presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who is running under provincial PROMDI party because of the dispute.
Comelec’s special second division voted 2-1 in favor of the Cusi wing. The resolution showed Commissioners Socorro Inting and Rey Bulay as the majority votes, while Commissioner Marlon Casquejo as the dissenter.
Comelec recently named PDP-Laban the dominant majority party and the Villar-led Nacionalist Party the dominant minority party in the May 9 polls.
The Cusi-led faction initially fielded Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa as presidential bet but he withdrew in November, leaving the party without a standard bearer. It is now backing the presidential bid of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
PDP-Laban was established to stand against the regime of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
However, party chair Duterte said he will not endorse anyone for president.
Pimentel group to file motion
The resolution recognized the July 17, 2021 national assembly of the PDP-Laban, which ousted Pacquiao as party president. It also noted that Duterte’s acts as the party chairman in the national assembly and in a council meeting on May 31, 2021 are valid and effective.
“The fact that he president over the election of the new sets of party officers and committee chairpersons validates the entire process,” it read.
Pimentel said his group will file a motion of reconsideration and raise again the arguments in its initial comment such as the “petition was fatally defective.”
“Those of us who have known only one political party, the PDP-Laban, and have been PDP-Laban for 40 long years will now be separated from our party because of Cusi who joined the party five years ago and his group of people who are outsiders and strangers to the party,” Pimentel said.
PDP-Laban was the result of a merger of PDP headed by Pimentel’s father, late Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and Lakas ng Bayan (Bayan) founded by late Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr.
“Only legitimate PDP-Laban members should be allowed to resolve this issue. The ‘padding’ of the membership by outsiders and complete strangers to the party should not be allowed,” Pimentel said.
Pacquiao, for his part, said he is unbothered by the decision of the Comelec as he is focused on wooing more voters as the elections near.
“Right now, we’re approaching the end of our campaign. We’re not thinking about that,” he said in Filipino. Pacquiao added he had anticipated this scenario so he decided to run under PROMDI.
In a statement, Cusi and PDP-Laban Secretary General Melvin Matibag invited Pimentel to meet with them, and “take a step back and not be emotional.”
“Let us unite for the sake of PDP Laban. Let us make the party stronger than ever. We are asking him to stop issuing inflammatory statements. We have worked together in the past; we can work together again in the future,” the two said. — with report from News5/Greg Gregorio
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