Former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre. (File photo by JOAN BONDOC / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — The PDP-Laban national council on Friday appointed former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to head the poll committee for Saturday’s election of new party officers.
During the national council meeting in Pampanga led by party-vice chairman Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, PDP-Laban vice president for external affairs Raul Lambino moved for the creation of an election committee for the national assembly on Saturday, July 17.
Lambino also moved to appoint Aguirre as the chairman of the committee.
No objection was raised and the motion was adopted by the council, with Aguirre taking his oath moments after.
According to Lambino, the election committee will now be allowed to take in nominations for positions up for election on Saturday.
The national assembly will be held amid growing conflict between the faction of party vice-chairman Alfonso Cusi and the group of party president Senator Manny Pacquiao.
“This is a very important activity for us, a defining moment for our party. In electing our officers, we are truly exercising the basic principle of PDP-Laban,” Cusi said during Friday’s meeting.
“Currently, all national officers and committee chairmen are acting or appointed. Such a nomination and voting process is what is in accordance with our constitution. Gone are those days that only a few members will appoint our national officers,” he added.
No less than President Rodrigo Duterte, party chairman, will preside over the July 17 assembly, which Pacquiao and Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, PDP-Laban executive vice-chairman and party stalwart, earlier dubbed as “unauthorized.”
Pimentel said Duterte’s attendance in the assembly does not make it legitimate. The senator said the legitimate assembly, to be called by Pacquiao, will be held in September.