Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 23)— The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has directed the PDP-Laban faction led by Senator Manny Pacquiao to answer a petition seeking to declare the group as “illegitimate officers” of the ruling party.
In an order dated September 22 — a copy of which was obtained by reporters on Thursday — Comelec said it will give Pacquiao’s camp five days to submit a comment on the petition filed by the group of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi earlier this month.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez also confirmed Pacquiao’s group only has until Monday, September 27, to file the response. The camp confirmed receipt of the order on Wednesday.
In its petition, the Cusi group had urged the poll body to “nullify all usurpations and/or such other purported assumptions of official party positions by the respondents” — as it refused to recognize the election of PDP-Laban officers by the Pacquiao side.
Both factions have also recently announced a different set of nominees for standard bearers in the 2022 polls.
Cusi’s group endorsed the tandem of Senator Bong Go and President Rodrigo Duterte — with Go rejecting the nomination — while Pacquiao also announced he will vie for the country’s top post next year.
The Comelec earlier said it sees no need yet to step in to resolve the dispute among the ruling party’s officials, noting it’s still possible that the competing slates “would merge again.”
