President Duterte is expected to attend the meeting of the ruling PDP-Laban party this coming weekend, Malacañang said Monday.
The President's attendance to the upcoming meeting affirms his support for Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, according to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
The latest Palace statement came after Cusi and two other party executives were reportedly expelled from the group for supposed violation of its constitution. Duterte is the chairman of the administration party while Cusi serves as PDP-Laban vice chairman.
The expulsion of the party officials came amid the escalating feud between the President and Senator Manny Pacquiao, party president, over alleged corruption issues in government.
"All I can say is he recognizes the leadership of Secretary Cusi and that is why he will attend the party special meeting on July 17," Roque said during a televised press briefing Monday, July 12.
Roque also maintained that the President's stance that any party conflict will be resolved through legal means.
"All I can say is what the President has said on the matter – 'We will resolve all existing disputes within PDP Laban legally.' So abangan na lang po ang susunod na kabanata diyan (So let's wait for the next chapter)," he said.
"Let’s put it this way – iyong meeting ng PDP Laban sa Clark, July 17 called by Secretary Cusi, it’s in the calendar of the President," he added.
Cusi belongs to a party faction that called for the President's vice presidential run in next year's elections. The administration party also asked the President to choose the party's standard bearer.
Duterte, who will end his six-year term next year, recently declared he was seriously thinking about running for vice president in the 2022 elections. He has asked party mates to look for a viable standard bearer after expressing concern that he might end up an inutile vice president if the winning president won't be an ally.