Matibag: Pacquiao still with PDP-Laban, resolution of complaint vs. him out before filing of candidacy

PDP-Laban secretary general Melvin Matibag on Friday said they are targeting to resolve the complaint against Senator Manny Pacquiao, after he reportedly started to convert his regional party into a national political organization, before the filing of candidacy in October.

"We intend to resolve it before the filing of candidacy which is October 1," Matibag said in a virtual press conference.

He said the PDP-Laban National Executive Committee had a meeting Friday to discuss Pacquiao's possible expulsion over his alleged "disloyalty" to the ruling party.

Matibag had bared that Pacquiao was allegedly converting the People's Champ Movement (PCM), his regional political party, into a national political party, which is a major ground for expulsion from his membership in the PDP-Laban.

He mentioned that on December 20, 2020, Pacquiao presided over a meeting of the PCM wherein the supposed agenda was to convert it into a national party.

"I'm a member of a local party just like Secretary Cusi, 'yung Partido Sandugo but that is also aligned with PDP-Laban, ang diperensya kasi nitong nangyari kay Senator Pacquiao, he is a sitting president of People's Champ Movement and at the same time acting president on December 2," Matibag said.

"On December 20, nagpreside siya ng meeting and ang agenda doon sa meeting is to convert People's Champ Movement into a national party," he explained.

According to Matibag, the complaint against Pacquiao and his brother lawmaker Rogelio Pacquaio was filed by one Reymar Masilungan, chairperson of the livelihood committee of PDP-Laban's Alfonso Cusi faction.

Matibag said Pacquiao is not automatically expelled from the party as he will be given due process based on the PDP-Laban's internal rules.

He added that the boxer-senator would be given 10 to 15 days to answer the complaint upon receiving it.

"First we will serve 'yung notice to answer the charge against him and against the other members of the PDP who will undergo the same procedure, we give them a period to answer," Matibag said.

"Kung may sagot pa rin 'yung nagreklamo, we give time and kung magrejoinder pa rin sila Manny, then that's the time... bigyan namin ng time," he added.

In a series of tweets on Thursday night, Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said the expulsion warning was a "bluff" that was meant to distract Pacquiao in his upcoming fight.

Pimentel's claim was strongly denied by Matibag.

"In fact, Sen. Manny presided over the meeting of PCM, which passed a resolution to convert PCM from a regional political party to a national political party. Why on earth will we bluff? This is as clear as daylight validated by the statement of Sen. Koko Pimentel,” Matibag had said.

On the other hand, PDP Laban executive director Ron Munsayac had pointed out that Pacquiao’s membership to the PCM is similar to PDP-Laban chairman and President Rodrigo Duterte’s membership to Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL).—AOL, GMA News