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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PDP-Laban factions confident Comelec will rule fairly on legitimacy issue

PDP-Laban factions confident Comelec will rule fairly on legitimacy issue

Published Sep 20, 2021 03:37 pm

The two factions within the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) have each expressed confidence that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will rule fairly on the legitimacy issues hounding the ruling political party as they each battle for recognition ahead of the May 2022 national elections.

Melvin Matibag, secretary general of the PDP-Laban led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said they are confident that the poll body will recognize the legitimacy of the faction headed by President Duterte, who is their party chairman.

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, who would be supporting Sen. Manny Pacquiao's presidential bid in next year's polls, declared the same thing during their National Assembly that was held on Sunday, September 19 in Quezon City.

But Matibag said they have already asked the poll body to declare Pimentel and Sen. Manny Pacquiao’s group as illegitimate and that they should refrain from representing themselves as officials of the PDP-Laban.

“The Comelec should act on this as soon as possible. The Comelec will be the final arbiter in this case,” Matibag said in a virtual interview on Monday.

He said the poll body can resolve the issue in two months’ time, and they will immediately follow whatever decision the Comelec will issue. He also pointed out their group has already started releasing Certificates of Nomination and Acceptance (CONAs) to their candidates for the May 2022 national and local elections.

Once Comelec rules in their favor, Matibag said Pacquiao’s camp would be considered independent candidates.

“Kasi wala pa naman kaming (because we have no) action with regards to their membership. But ang sistema nga diyan, they would be considered independent candidates,” Matibag said.

Asked what would happen to their faction if the Comelec decides otherwise, Matibag said: “I am confident that that will not happen because we followed the constitution and bylaws of the party.

On the other hand, Lutgardo Barbo, vice chairman of the PDP-Laban’s Pacquiao wing, said the members of the poll body should not feel beholden to the appointing authority or President Duterte.

“The members of the Comelec should not feel beholden to the appointing authority. The Comelec will decide on the basis of the facts and the law,” Barbo said in a televised interview.

“The Comelec will ask the question sino ba sa inyo ang nagto-toe the line, or sino ang sumusunod ng constitution and bylaws ng PDP-Laban (who is toeing the line or who is really following the constitution and bylaws of PDP-Laban)?” Barbo pointed out.

“Hindi naman tama na paramihan kayo, maraming kayong nasa gobyerno, kaya kayo na ang (It’s wrong to assume that just you are many, and most of you are in government, you are now the) PDP-Laban. That is wrong for them to be imposing their will on us,” he stressed.

In his speech during their assembly on Sunday, Pimentel, son of PDP-Laban founder Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr., vowed to fight back against “greedy” hijackers who used the party to bring Duterte to power.

“We will formally fight back against the hijackers. We will formally declare as correct what we have been doing all along,” Pimentel said.

The infighting within the party escalated when President Duterte, as party chairman, supposedly ordered Cusi to hold their own council meeting in Cebu City which Pimentel and Pacquiao’s group did not recognize, prompting them to later elect their own officials.

Pimentel and Pacquiao on August 2021 elected their own set of officers and picked Pimentel as their PDP-Laban party chairman.

This was followed with the Cusi-led faction holding its own national convention on September 8 where they nominated Senator Christopher “Bong” Go and Duterte as their presidential and vice presidential candidate for the May 2022 national polls.

On Sunday, however, Pimentel’s group nominated Pacquiao as their presidential candidate which the latter readily accepted.

Related Tags

Alfonso Cusi May 2022 elections PH politics koko pimentel DUTERTE Manny Pacquiao PDP-Laban
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