SC rules Duterte-allied faction legitimate leader of PDP-Laban
The Supreme Court (SC) has officially recognized the Duterte-allied group led by former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and former Cabinet Secretary Melvin Matibag as the legitimate leaders of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), ending an internal leadership row in the political party which started in 2021.
In a 25-page decision in G.R. No. 265395, the high tribunal en banc dismissed the petition filed by former Senators Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, which challenged the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) recognition of the Cusi-led group in 2022.
PDP-Laban was founded by Pimentel’s father, the late former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr., and Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Sr. The party fielded then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for the presidency in 2016.
The younger Pimentel, on the other hand, has been with the party for over four decades and was among those who drafted its constitution. Pacquiao, meanwhile, joined the party in 2012 and assumed the position of vice president for Mindanao.
In 2021, PDP-Laban was chaired by Duterte, with Cusi serving as vice chair.
Split
A rift, however, developed within the party later that year after Pacquiao expressed his intention to run as its standard bearer in the 2022 presidential elections. Cusi, however, endorsed a different candidate who was not a party member.
This led Pimentel and Pacquiao, then the heads of the national executive committee, to pass a resolution advising the national council to ask Cusi why he should not be expelled due to his actions that went against the party’s interest.
When the council met in Cebu on May 31, 2021, with Cusi presiding over the meeting as authorized by Duterte, members appointed Matibag as acting secretary general.
But the committee led by Pimentel decided to expel Cusi and Matibag and declare their positions vacant. Elections were held with Pimentel named as acting chair due to Duterte’s continued absence and incapacity.
Cusi’s faction also held an assembly in July 2021 in which they elected new leaders. Cusi became the party president while Duterte retained the post of PDP-Laban chair.
When the Pimentel group held its own assembly on Sept. 19, 2021, they proclaimed Pacquiao as PDP-Laban’s presidential candidate.
This prompted Cusi’s faction to ask Comelec to declare Pimentel’s group as illegitimate officers.
No abuse of discretion
In denying the petition of Pimentel and Pacquiao, the SC, through Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao, said there was no grave abuse of discretion when the poll body upheld the validity of the Cusi faction’s May and July 2021 council meetings and assembly.
Citing the PDP-Laban constitution, the court said there was no provision vesting exclusive power in the chair to call, fix the agenda and preside over the meetings of the national council.
In fact, the SC noted, Duterte delegated his authority to Cusi to organize, convene and preside over the May 2021 meeting.
It also noted that Article VII of the political party’s constitution demonstrated that the committee led by Pimentel had no authority to discipline and expel Cusi and Matibag from the party, since that power is lodged with the organization’s chapter to which they belong.
