PDP-Laban council rejects expulsion of Cusi, 2 others

PDP-Laban officials allied with Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi on Friday nullified the resolution removing the Cabinet secretary and two others from the ruling party.

Members of the PDP-Laban national council voided the action taken last week by the group of Senator Manny Pacquiao, the party’s acting president, following a motion by PDP-Laban vice president for external affairs Raul Lambino.

Speaking at the national council’s meeting in Clark, Pampanga, Lambino said the resolution ordering the expulsion of party vice chairman Cusi, deputy secretary-general Melvin Matibag, and membership committee head Astra Naik was “illegal” and “not in accordance with the party constitution and principles.”

PDP members in the House

PDP-Laban members in the House of Representatives led by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco have also expressed support for the “continued service” of Cusi as party vice chairman and immediate resolution of the issues and misunderstandings.

In a manifesto, PDP-Laban members in the House said they also support the following:

• the convention of the National Assembly on Saturday, July 17
• the attendance of President Rodrigo Duterte during the said convention

The manifesto was signed by 29 lawmakers.

Malacañang has also said President Rodrigo Duterte, the party chairman, still recognizes Cusi’s leadership.

Pacquiao’s group earlier claimed that Cusi, Matibag, and Naik violated the party constitution, which specifically prohibits members from maintaining any allegiance to another political party.

“Vice Chairman Cusi is already manipulating the party to support the Duterte-Duterte tandem which is a blatant admission of supporting Sara Duterte Carpio for President, who is not a member of the party,” the resolution signed by Pacquiao stated.

“Such a candidate does not even believe in federalism, her party fielded candidates against and opposed official candidates of PDP-Laban in 2019 elections, and she is vehemently opposed to joining the PDP-Laban party,” it added.

In his welcome remarks on Friday, Cusi said party issues must be resolved during the meeting, which was not attended by Pacquiao’s group. Pacquiao is currently in the United States to prepare for his upcoming boxing match with the undefeated Errol Spence Jr.

“The only objective of the meeting is to advance the interests of PDP-Laban. There is no secret agenda, no secret candidate. There are no factions in PDP-Laban. We all belong to one united and cohesive PDP-Laban,” Cusi said.

He also called for party unity and an end to “hostilities.”

“I call for a stop [to] all party hostilities. I ask all members - Do not divide this party. Do not burn bridges,” Cusi said.

“Let us work together in furtherance of our party’s collective interests. Let us not allow personal ambition to dictate upon our party members.”

At least 141 members of the 159-strong national council attended the meeting either physically or virtually.

The group of Rogelio Garcia, who figured in a leadership squabble with former party president Senator Aquilino Pimentel III in 2018, also participated in the meeting.

“We are a step ahead to our dream of unity,” Matibag said of the Garcia group’s presence.

“We tried to reach out to all the old members, the original members to reinstate their membership with PDP, work with us, and push the ideologies and principles of PDP,” added Cusi.

Duterte will preside over the PDP-Laban national assembly organized by Cusi on Saturday.

Pacquiao earlier warned attendees of possible sanctions as his faction considered it as an unauthorized assembly. — KBK/RSJ, GMA News