Tuguegarao City, Cagayan – Senator Manny Pacquiao has been expelled from the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP Laban) following his recent filing of his certificate of candidacy (COC) for president under a different party.
The PDP-Laban on Sunday, said in a statement “Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao has been automatically expelled from the party for filing his certificate of candidacy (COC) under the Progressive Movement for the Devolution of Initiatives (PROMDI), a relatively unknown party based in Cebu.”
The ruling party’s secretary general Melvin Matibag also mentioned that under the faction’s constitution, any member who files for candidacy under a different party is ejected automatically.
Senator Pacquiao on October 1, filed his COC together with his vice presidential bet Rep. Lito Atienza who is under the Buhay Party-list.
“A resolution was approved automatically expelling Senator Pacquiao from PDP Laban in accordance with the party constitution,” Matibag said.
Matibag added that Pacquiao’s recent move is disloyal and has betrayed the party after claiming himself as the legit president of PDP Laban, stressing that his action validates the “illegitimacy” of the alliance led by Senator Pacquiao and Pimentel.
Matibag also mentioned that he is confident that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) would declare the Pacquiao faction “illegitimate.”
Senator Koko Pimentel, the chair of the Pacquiao faction then replied to Cusi and Matibag saying they “did not know the facts, there is a PDP Laban, Promdi, PCM (People’s Champ Movement) alliance agreement called ‘MP3 Alliance’ where the alliance partners also proclaimed Sen. Manny Pacquiao as their presidential candidate.”
“PDP Laban National Executive Committee in a resolution (No. 12) allowed Sen. Manny Pacquiao to use Promdi CONA (certificate of nomination and acceptance) in order to consolidate his support base and alliance partners because Sen. Manny Pacquiao is already known and identified with PDP Laban. He was officially nominated and proclaimed as presidential candidate also by Promdi n their National Assembly,” Pimentel added.
Pimentel also said Cusi and Matibag are making up issues and that “everything is okay and normal.” TNF