Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino -Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) executive vice president Karlo Nograles on Monday urged the camp of Senator Manny Pacquiao to heed the call of the party leadership and cooperate with them as they prepare for the upcoming May 2022 national and local elections.

Nograles insisted that the July 16 and 17 national council meeting and assembly was done in accordance to the constitution and bylaws of the PDP-Laban party.

"Everything was done by the book. Kung ano yung nakalagay sa constitution ng PDP-Laban, sinundan natin (We followed what is stipulated in the PDP-Laban's constitution)," Nograles said in an interview on CNN Philippines.

"And all the members who voted in the national council and the national assembly are those who are authoized to vote as per the constitution of the PDP-Laban and as per records of the party that was submitted to Comelec (Commission on Elections) signed by no less than (Sen. Aquilino) Koko Pimentel himself," he added.

At the same time, Nograles rejected reports there are now two factions within the ruling political party, one that is led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, and the other led by Pacquiao.

"There's just one PDP-Laban and one set of officers and all speculations has been resolved by virtue of the national council meeting and the national assembly that was called," he said.

What is important, Nograles added, is that the meeting and assembly last week has resolved the issue of who is authoized to sign documents attesting to the official candidates of the PDP-Laban when they submit these to the Comelec.

This will include all candidates of the ruling political party from the national down to the local level.

Asked what Pacquiao and Pimentel--who were both relegated to being members of the party--can do after electing their own set of officers, Nograles said both senators can take their grievances to the party's grievance committee.

"The party has a grievance committee where we can resolve differences within the party," he said.

"Yes they are still members of the party. We don't just expel members. As I've said we have a grievance committee. There is also a mechanism for appeal," he pointed out.

Nograles also rejected insinuations they ignored Pacquiao saying they exhausted efforts to reach out to him during the meeting and national assembly, saying they wanted them to join even through online.

"We wanted him to join the Zoom meetings so he can also voice (out his views). We also continue to reach out to Sen. Pimentel ever since, from the very beginning," he stressed.

In fact, Nograles said the party is considering creating a 'Council of Elders' to where they propose Pimentel should belong.

"We still continue to open the doors to the both of them," he said.