Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite on Thursday, Jan. 13 said the Commission on Elections was correct in junking the PDP-Laban Cusi wing petition for the reopening of the filing of certificates of candidacy.

Gaite said the filing of the petition by President Duterte’s political party was a desperate move aimed at fixing the damage his partymates created.
“In their desperation because their party is in shambles, they had the temerity not only to petition the Comelec to reopen or extend the filing of COCs but also to seek the resetting of the elections!” the opposition solon said.
The Comelec has unanimously rejected for lack of merit the petition filed by Energy Alfonso Cusi who headed the PDP-Laban Cusi wing for the reopening of the filing of the certificates of candidacy and for the postponement of the printing of ballots for the May 9 elections.
The poll body also denied the petition filed by the Coalition for LIfe and Democracy party seeking to reset the 2022 polls to 2025.
The filing of the petitions triggered talks of a ‘no-election scenario” which is expected to die following the Comelec rulings.
Gaite said Cusi’s group must blame only itself for their failure to field a candidate for the presidency.
Before splitting up into the Cusi and PImentel faction, PDP-Laban was the country’s most formidable political party mainly because it is chaired by Duterte.
Senator Manny Pacquiao, who was president of the undivided PDP-Laban, had emerged as the most likely 2022 party standard bearer but Cusi and other Duterte allies started to question the senator’s leadership that led to the split.
Pacquiao, who remains the leader of the PDP-Laban Pimentel faction, pursued his presidential bid as candidate for the reactivated PROMDI-Party.
Meanwhile, with Duterte’s support, the Cusi wing fielded Sen. Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa, who at the outset, already gave hints of being a mere placeholder to the presidential nomination of the party.
Reports have indicated that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte had been asked to replaced De la Rosa, but the presidential daughter snubbed the invitation.
De la Rosa was later replaced by Senator Christopher “Bong” Go who later dropped out from the race even before the campaign period could start.