Cusi faction submits names of new PDP-Laban officers to Comelec

The faction of PDP-Laban led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi on Thursday formally submitted the names of the party's newly-elected officers to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

In the letter addressed to Atty. Genesis Gatdula from the Office of Clerk of the Commission, PDP-Laban handed its Sworn Information Update Statement (SIUS) in compliance with the Comelec Resolution 10411.

All currently registered political parties or coalition of political parties must submit its SIUS before August 15, 2021.

The letter was signed by PDP-Laban chairman, President Rodrigo Duterte and Cusi as party president.

The PDP-Laban also informed the poll body that it has elected a new set of national officers.

They enumerated the names of the new officers who were elected during the PDP-Laban national assembly held last July 17. The newly-elected officials are:

• President: Alfonso Cusi
• Executive Vice President: Karlo Alexei Nograles
• Vice President for NCR: Edwin Olivarez
• Vice President for Luzon: Raul Lambino
• Vice President for Visayas: Ben Evardone
• Vice President for Mindanao: Charito Plaza
• Secretary General: Melvin Matibag

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• National Treasurer: Rianne Cuevas
• Auditor General: Christopher Lawrence Go
• Membership Committee Astravel Pimentel-Naik
• Education Committee: Nel Felongco
• Finance Committee: Antonio Kho
• Legal Affairs and Arbitration Committee: Richard Nethercott
• Public Information Committee: Jonathan Malaya
• Livelihood Committee: Reymar Mansilungan
• Youth Affairs Committee: Maria Katrina Nicole Contacto

The election of the new PDP-Laban officials, however, was not acknowledged by the faction led by Senator Manny Pacquiao and Senator Aquilino Pimentel III.

Pimentel, son of PDP-Laban founder, late former Senate President Nene Pimentel, previously called the elections as “unauthorized and it should not affect the existing PDP-Laban structure."

Asked to comment on PDP-Laban’s latest move, Pimentel said politics should take a back seat amid the declaration of enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and the on-going surge of cases in some areas in the county.

“No comment in the meantime. We focus on [COVID] pandemic as lockdown has been declared [in] NCR and surges felt [in] other places. Politics should take a back seat. Pati pa ba filing nila ng SIUS pinapa-media pa nila? Concentrate first on solving the pandemic in our territory,” Pimentel told GMA News Online.

GMA News Online has also sought for Senator Pacquiao’s comment on the matter but he has yet to respond as of posting time.—LDF, GMA News