It was the opposition and critics of the Duterte administration who spread false claims about the alleged postponement of the 2022 national and local elections, a spokesperson for the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reportedly said Friday, Jan. 14.
DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said such claim was "speculative" and "a figment of imagination” of the government's critics.
“That’s a figment of imagination ng mga taong kumukontra sa ating pamahalaan (of the people opposing the government). Wala naman pong basehan (There is no basis) because the elections as you can see is already here. In fact, everyone has election fever,” Malaya was quoted as saying in a GMA News report.
Malaya’s statement came in the heels of the Commission on Election's (COMELEC) dismissal of the petition to reopen the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) filed by the PDP-Laban faction of Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.
Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III lauded COMELEC's decision as he claimed that the petition is geared towards the aim to push for a “no election” or “no-el” in 2022.
The camp of Cusi has yet to issue a reaction on the matter.
PDP-Laban's Pimentel faction with presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao and Cusi faction which is aligned with President Duterte are battling for COMELEC recognition in the next election.