Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Christopher “Bong” Go left the ruling PDP-Laban party when he pursued his presidential bid under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS), Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said Saturday.
Pimentel, who leads one faction of the PDP-Laban together with Senator Manny Pacquiao, said the election law requires that a substitute for candidacy should belong to the same party as the person he or she is substituting for.
“Sa pagkakaintindi ko sa rules pagdating sa substitution, you must belong to the party exercising the right to substitute… Ang rules doon, pagdating sa final deadline for substitution, the substitute ay dapat kapartido noong pinapalitan, so that means that at that particular point, iniwanan na ni Sen. Bong Go ang PDP-Laban at naging miyembro na siya sigurado ng PDDS kasi otherwise, invalid ‘yung substitution,” Pimentel said in an interview with DWIZ.
(Based on my understanding of substitutions, you must belong to the political party exercising the right to substitute. The rules state that the substitute should be a party-mate of the one he or she is substituting for, so that means that at that particular point, Sen. Bong Go left PDP-Laban and became a member of the PDDS. Otherwise, the substitution was invalid.)
Go earlier filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for vice president. However, he withdrew and instead filed a COC for president under PDDS, which is allied with the PDP-Laban wing led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi. Before Go, Grepor Belgica, the father of Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Greco Belgica, was fielded by PDDS as its presidential candidate.
According to Melvin Matibag, Secretary-General of the PDP-Laban wing led by Cusi, Go filed his candidacy for president under the PDDS because of the unresolved row between the two factions of the ruling party.
“Pending pa rin sa Comelec [ang leadership dispute], so respeto na lang sa Comelec, hayaan natin sila magresolve noon, pero sinasabi ko lang na sa pagkakaintindi ko sa batas ng eleksyon, ganoon po ang nangyari,” said Pimentel.
(It is still pending with the Comelec, so for respect to Comelec, let us let them resolve the leadership issue, but based on my understanding of election rules, that is what happened.)
“Kahit sabihin ni Sen. Bong Go na mahal niya ang PDP-Laban, nasa puso niya ang PDP-Laban, hindi na siya miyembro ng PDP-Laban kasi requirement po ng batas ‘yun. You must belong to the same party as the person you are substituting for,” he added.
(Even if Sen. Bong Go says he loves PDP-Laban and the party is in his heart, he is no longer a member of the party because the law requires that he must belong to the same party as the one he is substituting for.)
Meanwhile, Pimentel also urged Go to stand by his word and immediately file his withdrawal from the presidential race. Go earlier said he is withdrawing from the elections, noting that it is “not yet his time.”
“’Yung form, downloadable na sa internet ‘yun, napakadaling gawin… Kung tunay ka talagang nagwiwithdraw, i-withdraw mo na nang maaga para hindi na maprint ‘yung pangalan mo sa balota,” said Pimentel.
(The form for withdrawal is downloadable on the internet. It is very easy to do… If you will really withdraw, you should withdraw immediately so that your name will not be printed on the ballot.)
“Siguro asahan natin ngayong [December] 6 to 10. Hintayin na lang natin kasi kung hindi pa talaga mangyari hanggang December 10 ay i-disregard niyo na lang ‘yung announcement,” he stressed.
(Maybe you can expect his withdrawal from December 6 to 10. Let us wait. If he does not file until December 10, just disregard his announcement)