PDP-Laban Pacquiao faction forges alliance with 2 local parties

Two political parties from the Visayas and Mindanao have signed an alliance with the PDP-Laban faction led by Senator Manny Pacquiao.

“The PDP LABAN, People's Champ Movement (PCM), and PROMDI (Probinsiya Muna Development Initiative) political parties signed an alliance agreement in support of Sen. Manny Pacquiao,” Ron Munsayac, the executive director of the PDP-Laban group led by Pacquiao, said on Saturday.

PCM is a local political party created by Pacquiao’s siblings. It is based in General Santos City in Mindanao.

Recently, the PDP-Laban faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi threatened Pacquiao with expulsion from the party as they claimed that the local party was being converted into a national party.

Pacquiao said he left the local party when he was sworn in as president of PDP-Laban in December 2020.

He added that the PCM’s conversion to a national party just coincided with the ongoing intramurals in the PDP-Laban.

Meanwhile, PROMDI, a local party based in Cebu, was represented by its president, Mimo Osmeña, during the signing of the alliance.

Other personalities present during the signing are PROMDI Deputy SecGen Neil Labrador, Dr. Gaye Yapha, Chris Tio, PCM legal counsel Atty. Bong Gacal, and PDP-Laban chairman Senator Aquilino Pimentel III.

Pacquiao will seat as the alliance head, which they called “MP3.”

Pacquiao, backed by Pimentel, has been asserting his authority over the PDP-Laban, saying he is the “legitimate” president of the ruling party.

This, as the Alfonso Cusi-led faction held PDP-Laban national council meetings and assemblies without the blessing of Pacquiao and Pimentel.

In July, Pacquiao’s group expelled Cusi and Atty. Melvn Matibag from the party. Days later, Cusi’s group ousted Pacquiao as PDP-Laban president.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao’s faction recently elected Pimentel as the party chairman, replacing President Rodrigo Duterte.

Early this September, the Cusi-led wing filed a petition before the Comelec to declare Pacquiao and Pimentel as illegal representatives of their party.

Pacquiao, however, maintained that they are the legitimate PDP-Laban group. — DVM, GMA News