It’s final: Comelec says Duterte-led PDP-Laban is official party

Comelec. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday issued a certificate of finality on its earlier ruling recognizing the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) faction led by former President Rodrigo Duterte as the official party.

The certificate of finality was based on a Comelec en banc resolution that identified the Duterte-chaired PDP-Laban as the legitimate party against the other PDP-Laban wing led by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel.

READ: Comelec en banc upholds decision declaring Cusi wing as ‘true’ PDP-Laban

Based on the decision, the two PDP-Laban factions were already informed about the January 27 resolution of the Comelec en banc.

“Rule 186 of the 1993 Comelec Rules of Procedure provides that a resolution of the Commission En Banc in special proceedings shall become final and executory after 30 days from its promulgation,” the decision reads.

READ: Comelec recognizes Cusi wing as ‘true, official’ PDP-Laban

The Comelec en banc also noted in its decision that “no restraining order has been issued by the Supreme Court within 30 days from receipt of the parties” which could have precluded its January 27 resolution.

But Pimentel said in a statement Thursday that Comelec’s certificate of finality is just pro forma or an “automatic announcement based on its own practice or institutional habit.”

READ: Pimentel to take Comelec’s ruling on ‘true’ PDP-Laban members to SC

“But the Comelec cannot, by its own pronouncements, deprive the Supreme Court of jurisdiction to review its actions and decisions especially when they are exposed to be whimsical, capricious, arbitrary or issued with grave abuse of discretion, such as the decision in this case,” he added.

The Comelec has yet to react to Pimentel’s remarks as of this writing.

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