MANILA/LOS ANGELES — The infighting within the ruling PDP-Laban party continues to worsen as the faction of Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao and Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel submitted to the Commission on Elections its own set of officers.
This as Vice President Leni Robredo has opened the door for more exploratory talks with Pacquiao, who is perceived to be running for president in 2022, in her search for a united slate against the administration ticket expected to be led by presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
Robredo also revealed similar talks with Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto as well as Sen. Richard Gordon has not been closed.
The PDP-Laban faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, meanwhile, adopted a resolution endorsing Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go as standard bearer and Duterte as vice presidential bet in the 2022 elections.
PDP-Laban Executive Director and spokesperson Ron Munsayac said grassroots members supportive of Pacquiao believe the Go-Duterte tandem is a “smokescreen” to cover their support for presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte of the regional group Hugpong Ng Pagbabago.
“Kasi wala namang naniniwalang magkalaban silang dalawa… Si Bong Go vs. Sara, wala pong naniniwala. So tingin po ng mga partymates namin sa baba e smokescreen lang ito, distraction lang po ito,” Munsayac said.
Aksyon Demokratiko Secretary General Ernest Ramel said that Moreno will be their priority if he decides to seek the highest post in the land. Moreno’s supporters said the mayor may run for president now that he is being battered by President Rodrigo Duterte himself.
Cusi earlier denied pushing for a Duterte-Duterte tandem but said the party would consider if the President chooses his daughter as running mate.
In a statement, Go reiterated that he is not interested in seeking the presidency. He earlier said he would change his mind if the President agreed to be his running mate.
With the new development, it’s now up to the Comelec to settle the infighting in the PDP-Laban party as two factions have submitted different sets of officers to the poll body.
The group led by Senator Pacquiao, erstwhile president of PDP-Laban, has confirmed that they submitted their own Sworn Information Update Statement – which contains the list of party officers – to the Comelec last month.
“Nakapagfile na kami ng SIUS noong July pa (We already filed our SIUS in July),” PDP-Laban Executive Director Ron Munsayac said.
Munsayac did not disclose details, including the exact date of filing and the names of officers and stressed that as far as their group is concerned, then party vice chairman Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi has been expelled from the party along with Secretary General Melvin Matibag and Membership Committee Chairperson Astra Naik.
On Aug. 4, the Cusi wing also submitted their SIUS to the Comelec and even released a copy of the document the next day. It was signed by Cusi and party chairman President Rodrigo Duterte.. It contained the names of 16 national officers led by Cusi as president elected during a national assembly presided over by Duterte but contested by the Pacquiao camp.
Under the Comelec’s calendar of activities for the 2022 elections, all political parties have to submit their SIUS by August 15. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez.
Jimenez said that if factions within a party submit different documents, the commission would conduct a hearing to determine which one is legitimate, based on which group followed the party constitution and bylaws.
Last December, Pimentel stepped down and appointed Pacquiao as party president, igniting tension in the party.
“Kasi wala namang naniniwalang magkalaban silang dalawa… Si Bong Go vs. Sara, wala pong naniniwala. So tingin po ng mga partymates namin sa baba e smokescreen lang ito, distraction lang po ito [ Because no one believes that they will go against each other… Bong Go vs. Sara, nobody is buying that. Our party mates in the grassroots think it’s just a smokescreen, it’s just a distraction.],” Munsayac said.
Cusi earlier denied pushing for a Duterte-Duterte tandem but said the party would consider if the President chooses his daughter as running mate.
In a statement, Go reiterated that he is not interested in seeking the presidency. He earlier said he would change his mind if the President agreed to be his running mate.