MANILA, Philippines — Less than two weeks before the filing for candidacy, the infighting within the ruling PDP-Laban party remains unresolved—with the faction of Senator Manny Pacquiao continuing its fight to be the legitimate side of the party by holding its own national assembly on Sunday.
The Pacquiao faction’s national assembly came nearly two weeks after that of the group of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.
During the event, the Pacquiao faction is expected to nominate and vote on its standard bearer for the 2022 elections. Pacquiao is expected to be nominated for the presidential post. Whether he accepts it or not remains a question.
Similar to what the Cusi faction did, the Pacquiao camp is also expected to elect its own set of officers.
The Pacquiao camp’s national assembly is held amid the infighting within the PDP-Laban—one led by the senator and another led by Cusi. Both camps are insisting that the other side—and the events being held by the other wing—are illegitimate.
During the Cusi faction’s national assembly, Senator Bong Go and President Rodrigo Duterte were chosen as the PDP-Laban’s standard bearers for the 2022 polls.
Amid the infighting, however, one question remains: Which is the “legitimate” PDP-Laban?
This shall be resolved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec). To recall, the Cusi camp earlier asked the Comelec to declare the group led by Pacquiao and Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III as illegitimate.
In response to the petition filed by the Cusi camp, the Pacquiao wing insisted that its group is recognized by the grassroots members and senior leaders of the party.