Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 16) — The Supreme Court has stepped in to resolve the long-standing row within the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), declaring the wing led by Senator Koko Pimentel as its legitimate chapter.
The Supreme Court (SC) en banc resolved the issue on June 18, where it upheld the decision of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in November that those in Pimentel’s lineup are the legitimate officers of the political party of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The decision stems from a case filed by the faction of lawyer Rogelio Garcia, who claims to lead another set of officers for PDP-Laban. Both Garcia and Pimentel filed separate lists of PDP-Laban officers to the poll body, with the two claiming to be the national president of the ruling party.
The high court said there was no “direct challenge” to the legitimacy of Pimentel’s lineup in leading the party. Magistrates told Garcia’s group to “recognize them (Pimentel) as the legitimate officers” who are authorized to act in behalf of PDP-Laban.
The SC likewise denied the petition lodged by Garcia’s group for a halt order on the actions of the Pimentel-led group.
COMELEC records dating back June 2016 already showed Pimentel as party president and chairman emeritus. Duterte is named as PDP-Laban chairman, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi as vice-chairman, former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez as Secretary-General, and new Senator Christopher “Bong” Go as auditor.
However, thousands of supposed regional party members attended a national assembly in Quezon City in July 2017, where they supposedly ousted the Pimentel lineup and elected Garcia as party leader. The senator later on said that meeting was unauthorized and unofficial.
Duterte had stepped in to try to settle the issue among themselves, but to no avail.
Garcia’s group nominated folk singer Freddie Aguilar for the May 13 polls, whose candidacy was deemed dubious by the Pimentel group. Despite this, Duterte still endorsed Aguilar, who ran in the 2019 midterm elections, but lost.
