PDP-Laban calls on Pimentel to stop using party name in impeachment complaint
By Ivy Tejano
DAVAO CITY – The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan chided Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel on Thursday, Feb. 20, for the unauthorized use of the party’s name in the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.

In a statement on the PDP-Laban official Facebook page, the party chaired by former President Rodrigo Duterte said Pimentel has no legal or moral grounds to use the party name.
Pimentel wrote a letter to Senate President Francis Escudero in which he asserted that the chamber has an obligation to promptly address the impeachment inquiry filed by the House of Representatives against Vice President Duterte.
“The Commission on Elections ruled on March 23, 2023, affirming that the group led by former President Duterte is the legitimate PDP-Laban. As such, only the group under his leadership holds the right to represent the party,” the PDP-Laban said.
PDP-Laban reiterated that Pimentel has officially transferred to the Nacionalista Party. They said the senator’s candidacy as representative for the first congressional district in Marikina City is under the Nacionalista Party as indicated in his Certificate of Candidacy.
“The PDP-Laban kindly requests the Honorable Senator to refrain from misusing the name PDP-Laban and misleading the Filipino people about his current party affiliation,” the party said as it reiterated its stance against any misrepresentation of its official position.
The party expressed concern that Pimentel’s letter to the Senate President could create a false impression that PDP-Laban supports the House’s move. The PDP-Laban said that it opposes the impeachment of Vice President Duterte.
Pimentel argued before the media at the regular Kapihan sa Senado that the Comelec case pertained to the party’s leadership and emphasized that the ruling against his faction remains under contention at the Supreme Court.
The senator, a former president of the PDP-Laban founded by his father and namesake, the late Sen. Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr., recalled former Energy Secretary and PDP-Laban President Alfonso Cusi telling him that he had not been expelled from the party.