Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and Senator Manny Pacquiao. FILE PHOTOS / INQUIRER / SENATE PRIB
MANILA, Philippines — The Pacquiao wing of the ruling political party PDP-Laban has denied allegations of the other faction that an appointed party treasurer had refused to account for the ruling party’s funds.
PDP-Laban national executive director Ron Munsayac, in a statement, said there was no truth to the “wild and baseless” allegations of the faction led by Energy Secretay Alfonso Cusi which had earlier filed estafa and qualified theft charges against party’s treasurer Evan Rebadulla.
“They have again shown their propensity to make lies and libelous assaults against law abiding citizens, a tactic that is with tyrannical tendencies totally violative of the principles and objectives of PDP Laban,” Munsayac, who belongs to the faction led by Senator Manny Pacquiao, said.
Such actions of the Cusi camp, Munsayac said, smack of perjury and cyberlibel, if not a “funny and ignorant attempt by a group that has no respect, knowledge, and understanding of the law.”
On Friday, the Cusi-led faction disclosed that Rebadulla, who was appointed by Senator Aquilino “Kiko” Pimentel III, allegedly refused to report for the ruling party’s funds that he had managed as treasurer.
Munsayac said that “what is clear is that there is a clear admission of the rogue elements that they do not control the true PDP Laban Party.”
“The leadership of the Party is with the real officers who still continue to exercise administrative and executive control. They have admitted that they are not authorized and do not have any custody at all of the true and official records and resources of the Party. They do not have any idea what and where are the assets of the Party,” he said.
“Based only on speculations and conjectures bereft of any evidence, they are desperately trying to scare and harass the true leaders of the Party. In doing so, they have committed Perjury and Cyber Libel,” he added.
According to Munsayac, the Cusi-led faction is “merely committing an illegal and hostile attempt to steal or hi-jack the Party and its resources for their own selfish and CORRUPT ends.”
He said the “true” PDP-Laban never authorized the filing of any case against Rebadulla, and that PDP’s national committee officer Reymar Mansilungan who filed the case is not even an authorized officer of the party.
“As per the official records, he (Mansilungan) is not even a member of the Party. Everything is in order in the records of the PDP Laban and in the proper place. Evan Rebadulla did not commit any of the crimes alleged by dubious personalities,” said Munsayac.
“Surely he has the right to file counter charges against the complainant and his co-conspirators,” he added.
The PDP-Laban has been split into two factions as they aim to support different candidates in the 2022 polls.
The Cusi-led faction has endorsed the tandem of Senator Bong Go and President Rodrigo Duterte as standard bearers for the coming elections. Meanwhile, the other faction eyes Pacquiao as presidential candidate.