The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is hoping to resolve the issue regarding the two factions of PDP-Laban before coming out with the resolution on the dominant majority and minority parties.
Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said this on Tuesday, April 26, the day when the poll body started hearing the petitions for accreditation for the majority, minority parties and 10 major political parties for the May 2022 polls.
But the poll official said they can also come out with the resolution on the dominant parties even if they have yet to resolve which is the legitimate faction among the two parties.
"The discretion now belongs to the Comelec on whether we should come up with a just determination of that particular party as a whole or a determination of just a faction," Garcia said in an interview.
The camps of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and Senator Manny Pacquiao, who are both claiming to be the legitimate leaders of the political party, submitted their Sworn Information Update Statement (SIUS) with the Comelec for the May 2022 polls.
The SIUS is a requirement of the Comelec to every registered political parties containing the full name of the party, headquarters address, list of current officials, list of elected members, and list of members, among others.
The Cusi wing also filed a petition asking the poll body to declare the Pacquiao faction as illegal representatives of PDP-Laban.
Garcia said a special division has been created to resolve the case.