PDP-Laban Pimentel wing: Pacquiao’s COC filing under Promdi ‘in order’ per party constitution

MANILA, Philippines — The faction of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) led by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Sunday said that Senator Manny Pacquiao’s filing of certificate of candidacy (COC) under another partylist is “in order” based on their party’s constitution.

This, after the faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi announced Pacquiao’s expulsion from PDP-Laban as Pacquiao filed his COC under the Progressive Movement for the Devolution of Initiatives (Promdi).

“So easy to explain. Cusi+Matibag do not know the facts. There is a PDP LABAN, PROMDI, PCM ALLIANCE AGREEMENT called ‘MP3 Alliance’ where the alliance partners also proclaimed Sen. Manny Pacquiao as their presidential candidate,” Pimentel, party chairman, said in a message to reporters.

“PDP LABAN National Executive Committee in a Resolution (No. 12) allowed Sen. Manny Pacquiao to use Promdi CONA in order to consolidate his support base and alliance partners because Sen. Manny Pacquiao is already known and identified with PDP LABAN. He was officially nominated and proclaimed as presidential candidate also by Promdi [in] their National Assembly,” he added.

With this, Pimentel said that everything is normal based on PDP-Laban’s constitution.

“Hence everything is normal and in order per our party constitution. The ‘issu’ being propagated by Cusi+Matibag is a figment of their imagination which they want to use for their own political propaganda,” Pimentel justified.

Pimentel also criticized the Cusi-wing over Senator Christopher “Bong” Go’s COC filing as vice president since the senator was earlier nominated as president.

“Cusi+Matibag have a lot of explaining to do to their own audience. They held a gathering in September where they publicly nominated Sen. Bong Go as their candidate for President and PRRD for VP. Sen. BG publicly refused their nomination for president. Now, they have filed a COC with Sen. BG for VP without any formal and public nomination from their group,” Pimentel noted.

READ: Bong Go rejects PDP-Laban endorsement to be presidential candidate

“What is happening to their group? Don’t they coordinate at all? Don’t they observe any formalities at all? Are they a group of people who just change their minds in an instant and then that is already the group’s decision?” he inquired.

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