The faction of Senators Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Manny Pacquiao is upset after the Commission on Elections decided to recognize the faction of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi as the legitimate party of PDP-Laban.
In the resolution, the Comelec Special Second Division announced that “Chairman (President Rodrigo) Duterte’s chairmanship is an undisputed and well-settled fact in the aforementioned dates.”
“The fact that he presided over the election of the new sets of party officers and committee chairpersons validates the entire process, making the above-enumerated officers as the duly elected officers of PDP-Laban,” it added.
The Comelec declared the PDP-Laban the dominant majority party in the May 9 elections.
Based on Resolution 10787 released on Wednesday, poll watchers of the dominant majority and dominant minority parties will be given priority over canvassing.
The PDP-Laban split into a group of Cusi and Pimentel-Pacquiao, due to disagreement over the decision regarding Election 2022.
This led to filing a petition with the Comelec to decide which group would be recognized as the legitimate PDP-Laban.
Comelec recognizes Cusi faction as legitimate PDP-Laban
Pimentel said they would file a motion with the Comelec division to reconsider its decision to recognize Cusi’s group.
“We will raise again the following points and we hope the Comelec en banc will look at these issues with eyes wide open: (1) the petition was fatally defective – it was filed for and on behalf of a political party (which is not a human being) without any Board Resolution authorizing its filing!” Pimentel said.
“Ang luwag naman ng Comelec kay Sec. Cusi pagdating sa requirements! Sec. Cusi and company had no authority to file the Petition and yet it was entertained by Comelec? What happened to all the requirements other petitioners before the Comelec are required to comply with? (2) the lawyer who signed didn’t even have updated MCLE requirement! Plus the OTHER ARGUMENTS RAISED IN OUR INITIAL COMMENT,” he added.
Meanwhile, Cusi praised the Comelec’s decision which he called “wise decision declaring and recognizing the current officers and members as the real PDP Laban party under the chairmanship of President Duterte.”
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