PDP drops Laban from name, endorses 2025 bets

PDP-Laban’s logo FACEBOOK PAGE

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP), led by former President Rodrigo Duterte, has decided to drop Lakas ng Bayan (Laban) as part of its name during its national council meeting and anniversary celebration here on Friday.

The change of name was tackled at the Nustar Resort and Casino and was streamed on their official Facebook page.

The party also announced its endorsement of the reeelection bids of Ronald dela Rosa, Bong Go and Francis Tolentino as well as the candidacy of actor Phillip Salvador.

READ: The law and PDP-Laban

READ: No ‘fight’ anymore? Duterte-led PDP officially drops ‘Laban’ from name

The 70-year-old Salvador is a member of the popular show biz family that includes his deceased father Lou Salvador, siblings Alona Alegre, Mina Aragon, Leroy Salvador, Lou Salvador Jr. and several nephews and nieces as well as celebrity in-laws.

In 2006, the Las Piñas regional trial court convicted Salvador of estafa and sentenced to 20 years in prison in connection with a suit filed by his former girlfriend, businesswoman Cristina Decena.

But the conviction is still pending before the Court of Appeals.

Exodus of members

In 2016, the actor ran for vice governor of Bulacan, but was excluded from the voters’ list and was thus disqualified only days before the local elections.

The endorsement of the four apparent senatorial bets was announced amid mounting defections from the PDP to the ruling Lakas-CMD party, headed by Speaker Martin Romualdez.

But Duterte said that the departure of former party members was just part of politics.

“I don’t mean to disrespect people who are now on the other side or who might go to the other side,” Duterte said in his speech at the meeting.

“I know that money [and] projects are part of politics. [If you are] the mayor or governor, you have the money. Even discretionary or contingent funds, that involves millions of pesos. That’s why people are after that.”

“That is what makes politics, among others. Prestige, the honor to be called governor or mayor or president. That is really a hot issue,” Duterte said.

Local officials in Cebu, led by the party’s vice president for the Visayas and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, also attended the meeting .

Rama said he was pleased that the meeting of the party was held in Cebu City.

The last time they had an assembly here, he said, was still during the election period in 2022.

Organizers claimed that around 1,500 members and officials of the party attended the gathering.