Comelec: PDP-Laban Cusi faction is ‘true, official’ wing

MANILA. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi. (Photo from DOE Facebook page)
MANILA. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi. (Photo from DOE Facebook page)

(UPDATED) THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) special second division issued on Friday, May 6, 2022, a resolution recognizing the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi as the legitimate wing versus the faction led by Senator Aquilino Pimentel III.

The Comelec said the PDP-Laban Cusi faction chaired by President Rodrigo Duterte was recognized as the “true and official members” of the party.

It said Cusi serves as the party president, while acknowledged as party executive vice president is Karlo Alexei Nograles and secretary general is Melvin Matibag.

The poll body pointed how the actions of Duterte as party chair, such as calling for the National Council Meeting in May 31, 2021, are valid and effective.

"Considering that chairman Duterte’s chairmanship is an undisputed and well-settled fact in the aforementioned dates, it is also undisputed that chairman Duterte’s acts on even dates are valid and effective," the resolution dated May 6 reads.

"The fact that he presided over the election of the new sets of party officers and committee chairpersons validates the entire process," it added.

The poll body declared void resolutions 06, 08 and 07 issued by the Pimentel faction, as well as its August 29 and September 19, 2021 national council meeting along with all its predicative resolutions.

In September 2021, the wing of Cusi filed a petition to the Comelec against the camp of Pimentel, asking the poll body to declare the latter as illegal representatives of PDP-Laban.

The filing came after each of the two camps of PDP-Laban submitted their Sworn Information Update Statement with the Comelec as required by the poll body ahead of the May 2022 polls.

On Thursday, May 5, the Comelec issued a resolution identifying PDP-Laban as the dominant majority party in the country by treating the two factions as one party, while the Nacionalista Party is the dominant minority.

It also declared the Liberal Party, Aksyon Demokratiko, Nationalist People's Coalition, Lakas-CMD, Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma, National Unity Party, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, Akbayan, and the United Nationalist Alliance as among the major national parties in the country.

The Cusi faction earlier endorsed the candidacy of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his runningmate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

Pimentel’s group, however, backed the candidacy of Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao. (With HDT/SunStar Philippines)

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