Declaration of Pacquiao as PDP-Laban presidential bet illegal — Cusi wing

Sen. Manny Pacquiao accepts his nomination on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, as PDP-Laban standard-bearer in the 2022 presidential race. (Photo from his Facebook page)

MANILA, Philippines — Declaring Senator Manny Pacquiao as the PDP-Laban’s standard bearer in the 2022 elections is illegal since his camp, which is led by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, is illegitimate, a faction of the same political party said Monday.

The PDP-Laban faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi is insisting that the national assembly held by Pacquiao’s camp on Sunday where the senator was declared as the party’s presidential candidate, was not sanctioned by the PDP-Laban.

“Puwede magdeklara [ng pagtakbo sa pagkapresidente] pero sana huwag na gamitin ‘yung PDP dahil ilegal na ‘pag ginamit ‘yung PDP,” Cusi wing Secretary General Melvin Matibag said in an interview on ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo.

(They can declare his candidacy for presidency but they shouldn’t use the PDP-Laban since it’s illegal.)

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi (FILE PHOTO)

Matibag insisted that the national assembly on Sunday was not sanctioned by the party chairman, President Rodrigo Duterte.

The national convention that stands to be legit, he said, was the one held on Sept. 8 where Senator Bong Go and President Duterte were proclaimed as the political group’s standard bearers in the 2022 elections.

Matibag said Pacquiao should instead use his other affiliated political parties such as the People’s Champ Movement, for his bid for the presidency, since, he claimed, the senator does not have the support of the majority of the PDP-Laban members.

“Tutal mayroon naman siyang ibang partidaong sinasamahan, baka naman gusto niya ‘yun na gamitin niyang partido sapagkat dito sa PDP-Laban, nakita naman niya na wala nang suporta ng grupo, ng malalaking grupo,” he said.

(Since he has other parties, maybe he can just use those because here in PDP-Laban, he does not have the support of the majority.)

The PDP-Laban Cusi faction earlier asked the Commission on Elections to declare the group led by Pacquiao and Pimentel as illegitimate.

They also asked Comelec to stop Pacquiao, Pimentel, and their allies from committing acts that would “run against the constitution of PDP-Laban and usurp the authority of the legitimate officials of the ruling party” through a temporary restraining order or writ of preliminary injunction.

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