Alvarez denies he was declared persona non grata by PDP-Laban

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Wednesday hit back at a supposed member of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) who claimed that he, Alvarez, has been declared persona non-grata by the party.

In an ambush interview, Alvarez questioned the credibility of a certain Cesar Cuntapay, who supposedly introduced himself as the party's interim regional council president in Southern Mindanao.

Cuntapay, in a statement last week, claimed that more than 200 PDP-Laban stalwarts in Mindanao have declared Alvarez "persona non-grata" in a resolution.

But Alvarez, the party's secretary-general, said the media should not give attention to Cuntapay's statement.

"Kaya naman pinapansin 'yan ng media dahil may PR (press release) na ginagamit 'yan. Sa totoo lang taga-Tagum City 'yan, kababayan ko 'yan, may katok 'yan. Kaya walang pumapansin diyan doon," he said.

"Hindi ko alam kung bakit pinapansin ng national media. Kaya nga merong PR talagang sinisindihan 'yan at alam ko kung sino ang nasa likuran niyan," Alvarez added.

Alvarez said the party is doing well although he admitted that it is currently in the process of reorganization.

"Andami naming natatanggap na reklamo na maraming miyembro dati ng PDP Laban na ito ay ginagamit na negosyo.  Naga-accept sila ng members doon sa mga barrio doon sa probinsya. Tapos naniningil ng between P500 to P1,000 para daw sa ID at kung sa anu-ano," he said.

"Hindi ho ino-authorize ng partido 'yan at wala hong sinasabi yung partido na mag-recruit kayo," he added.

The Speaker likewise said there are only three officials who are allowed to administer the oath for incoming members of the party. They are PDP-Laban president and Senate President Koko Pimentel, PDP-Laban vice chairman and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, and Alvarez himself as PDP-Laban secretary-general.

"Maliban po diyan. wala na pong authorized na individuals na mag-administer ng oath ng partido. So, huwag po kayong maniniwala kung merong magre-recruit sa inyo at merong magpapa-oath," he said.

"At lalong-lalo na yung mga nangongolekta po ng bayad. Pagka may nangolekta po ng bayad sa inyo ay ipahuli po ninyo, estafa po 'yan," he added.

Alvarez said they have already identified the persons involved in this issue. "In fact they will be subjected to disciplinary action by the party and malaki po ang posibilidad na sila ay matanggal din sa partido," he said. —KBK, GMA News