MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, the son of a PDP-Laban co-founder, said Friday that they will appeal the resolution of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) which recognized the faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi as legitimate members of the ruling party.
In a statement to reporters, he said that the resolution of the Comelec's special second division is not "immediately executory."
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"We will file a motion for reconsideration as a matter of right within 5 days from receipt," he said in an online message on Friday.
Although the Comelec did not give a reason why it decided to declare the Cusi wing as "true and official" members of PDP-Laban, it cited a petition filed by Cusi's group.
Pimentel said that such a petition is "fatally defective", claiming that Cusi and his group did not have any right to file it.
"[The petition] was filed for and on behalf of a political party (which is not a human being) without any board resolution authorizing its filing!..Sec Cusi and company had no authority to file the Petition and yet it was entertained by Comelec?" he said.
He indicated that with the poll body's resolution, it would appear that the Comelec is "forc[ing] us to transfer to another party against our will and against our party rules."
For him, the timing of the resolution's release— which comes three days before elections— is "not good", because it can bolster the presidential candidate endorsed by the Cusi wing, whom Pimentel said is the "total anti-thesis of everything PDP-Laban stands for."
PDP-Laban is currently split into the Cusi faction which has endorsed the candidacy of presidential bet Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. The other half is led by Sen. Manny Pacquiao, another presidential aspirant who is running under the banner of the Cebu-based PROMDI party due to the dispute.
BREAKING | The COMELEC Special Second Division resolved to recognize the Cusi Faction as the legitimate members of the PDP-LABAN party. @News5PH @onenewsph pic.twitter.com/rPpsWKixeL
— Greg Gregorio (@GVGregorio_TV5) May 6, 2022
In the Comelec's resolution, a copy of which was shared to the media on Friday, President Rodrigo Duterte was recognized as the chairman of the party and Cusi was declared president. Sixteen others were recognized in other key positions.
PDP-Laban is the dominant majority party, which will be allowed to get a first look at precinct results of the May 9 elections. The party will also prioritized when fielding poll watchers.
Pimentel's father Nene, the former Senate president, is a co-founder of PDP-Laban, which he established with the late senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. over forty years ago as an opposition coalition against the dictatorship of former President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Koko used to be the executive vice chairman of the party until a PDP-Laban national council meeting led by Cusi on July 17, 2021, stopped recognizing his post.