Sotto: Declaration of Cusi faction as legitimate PDP-Laban, Smartmatic data breach and other issues will be raised in the CA

Questions about the declaration of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi’s faction as the legitimate members of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban), as well as Smartmatic’s data breach, the reshuffling of some election officers in Mindanao would be “hanging over the heads” of the three newly-appointed officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) when they face the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA), vice presidential candidate and Senate President Vicente Sotto III said.

Sotto, chairperson of CA, pointed this out during a press conference in Laguna on Saturday, May 7, where he and running mate, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, questioned the recent actions of the poll body just a few days before the May 9, 2022 elections.

According to Sotto, he was once a member of the PDP-Laban, and based on his experience, it was not easy to become a full-fledged member of the party co-founded by the late Senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr., as they would all have to undergo a one-month Basic Membership Seminar (BMS), among others.

In a earlier tweet, Sotto questioned the decision of the Comelec’s Special Second Division to declare Cusi’s faction as the true and official members of the PDP-Laban.

“My idol Nene must be turning in his grave. I wonder what the future holds for these people. Let’s meet them in the CA!” Sotto said in his tweet on Friday.

Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, son and namesake of the PDP-Laban co-founder has vowed to question the Comelec’s decision.

Sotto backed Pimentel’s move noting that the Comelec division declared as the original, official PDP-Laban people who “were only suddenly members” of the party in the 2016 elections.

“Tinanong ba ng Comelec kung nag-undergo (ng training) lahat yung mga yun (Did the Comelec ask these people if they undergo training)? I doubt it,” Sotto said during the press conference.

“Kung ganyan dumiskarte yung mga ika nga’y commissioners tiyak na makukwestyon ito. Kasi gusto nila magpa-submit sa 25 at saka sa June 1, Commission on Appointments (If that is how the commissioners are doing things, then for sure they would be questioned. Because they want to submit their appointments to the CA on the 25th and on June 1. If their appointments are not confirmed, they would be bypassed,” Sotto said.

Comelec officials who are yet to face the CA are Comelec Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan, Commissioners Aimee Torrefranca-Neri and George Erwin Garcia, who were all appointed by President Duterte last March. If bypassed by the CA, their term ends with the election of a new president.

“Kaya dapat nag-iingat sa mga desisyon na ginagawa na nakaka-apekto sa mga partido na since time immemorial ay nandiyan na (That’s why they should be careful about the decisions they make against a party that since time immemorial has been there),” Sotto said.

According to Sotto, he symphatizes with the original members of the PDP-Laban which was also co-founded by the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, and late Lorenzo Tañada which was established to oppose the Marcos dictatorship.

The Cusi faction, however, is supporting the presidential bid of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. son of the late strongman.

“I will never lose heart as far as PDP-Laban is concerned because I was an original member of the Party,” Sotto said.

Likewise, Sotto said they will also raise issues about transparency servers and why some election officers in Lanao del Sur province were reshuffled two weeks before Monday’s national and local elections.

Lacson, who is also a member of the CA, echoed Sotto’s sentiment and said that the Comelec should do their job objectively.

“They should do their job, period. Kung gagawin lang nila yung trabaho nila nang maayos at saka very objectively (They should do their job properly and very objectively),” Lacson said also during the press conference.