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Cusi confirms PDP-Laban election of officers on July 16, 17, denies ‘power grab’
By TED CORDERO,GMA NewsPDP-Laban vice chairman Alfonso Cusi on Tuesday confirmed that the party will conduct an election of officers in its upcoming national council meeting and national assembly this week.
“That is what will happen sa (on) July 16 and 17: Magkakaroon ng election nang sa gano'n magkaroon ng order ang partido para makilala kung sino dapat ang mamumuno (we will have an election so that the party will have order and we will know who should lead the party),” Cusi said at a virtual press conference.
The PDP-Laban vice chairman made the confirmation after Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III accused him as being the “brains” behind a supposed “power grab” attempt within the ruling party.
Cusi said that according to the party’s constitution and by-laws, officers are supposed to have a two-year term and “every two years we should have an election.”
“Ngayon, napakaraming taon na ang nagdaan na hindi tayo nagkaroon ng election so bale kaming lahat are acting officers (Now, many years have passed that we haven’t conducted an election so we are all just acting officers),” he said.
He then said that when Pimentel resigned as the party’s president, Senator Manny Pacquiao assumed the presidency.
“So para maisaayos ‘yan para magkaroon ng mandate ay dapat manghingi tayo ng mandato sa mga miyembro. I-subject natin ang sarili natin sa election (To put that in order and have a mandate, we will ask the members. We should subject ourselves in an election),” Cusi said.
The planned elections will happen in the middle of a rift between Cusi and Pacquiao.
Cusi earlier claimed that the rift between them started when they were not informed about the PDP-Laban’s change of leadership when Pacquiao became party president.
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Cusi downplayed the expulsion as a mere political gimmick, saying that it did not go through a due process which is against the party’s constitution and by-laws.
Pacquiao and Cusi have been asserting authority over the PDP-Laban after the Energy secretary organized party meetings and assemblies without Pacquiao and Pimentel’s permission.
Power grab?
Cusi also denied accusations that his faction is attempting to grab power in the ruling party.
“We are not grabbing power. There is nothing to grab,” he said.
He stressed that power is given by the party’s members and “it cannot be inherited or just be delegated.”
“We are trying to put order in the party,” he said, adding that the upcoming national council meeting and national assembly is also a chance for the Pacquiao camp to “present their case.”
Pimentel earlier urged PDP-Laban members not to attend the upcoming “unauthorized” activities. However, the Palace has announced that President Rodrigo Duterte, the party’s chairman, will be attending the July 17 party meeting in Clark.
Cusi said “it’s their loss," if Pacquiao and Pimentel will not attend. —KG, GMA News