Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 15) — The faction in the ruling PDP-Laban party led by Senators Manny Pacquiao and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III is seeking the immediate dismissal of the petition filed against them before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Pimentel on Friday gave CNN Philippines a list of arguments raised by their counsel – former Comelec commissioner Christian Robert Lim – during the poll body’s hearing on Thursday. It stemmed from the petition filed by the other faction’s president, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, and secretary general Melvin Matibag, seeking to declare Pacquiao and Pimentel as “illegitimate officers and/or unauthorized representatives” of PDP-Laban.
“Petitioners Cusi and Matibag filed the Petition without attaching any authority even from their very own group members,” said the camp of Pacquiao, party president, and Pimentel, party chairman.
“Hence, the Cusi Petition was filed without any authority in violation of basic requirements of the Comelec Rules of Procedure and the Rules of Court and should therefore be dismissed immediately,” they added.
As far as they are concerned, Cusi and Matibag have been expelled from PDP-Laban, and Pimentel has replaced President Rodrigo Duterte as party chairman.
But the Cusi wing considers Pacquiao automatically booted out when he filed his certificate of candidacy under another political party. The Pacquiao camp maintained it did not violate any rule, saying PROMDI party is part of the PDP-Laban alliance.
The Comelec has given both factions 10 days or until October 25 to submit their memorandums, officials from the warring groups confirmed.
Matibag said this shall contain a summary of arguments and evidence to prove their case. “I will be speaking not as a PDP-Laban official or a member but more so as a lawyer, nakikita ko po mukhang hindi naman malaking problema para sa aming grupo (I don’t think this will be a huge problem for our group),” he said.
Matibag recalled several issues tackled during Thursday’s hearing, including whether the Comelec en banc or just a division should hear the petition.
He said the factions also faced off on whether Duterte as party chairman can delegate the authority of calling a national council meeting to then vice chairman Cusi. The rift within the party became evident when Cusi convened a May 31 national council meeting despite Pacquiao’s objection.
The two factions later elected different sets of officers and nominated different standard bearers, which meant Comelec would have to step in to declare which group can carry the name PDP-Laban – even if the Cusi wing did not file a petition.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the poll body’s decision is expected around December.
