Cusi faction is legitimate PDP Laban leadership – Supreme Court

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The High Court upholds the Commission on Election's ruling that earlier favored the Cusi group

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that the faction of former Department of Energy secretary Alfonso Cusi and Melvin Matibag were the legitimate heads of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) Laban — former president Rodrigo Duterte’s political party.

This decision resolved the issue on leadership that played between the camps of Cusi and the faction of former senators Koko Pimentel and Manny Pacquiao.

In its decision made public on Wednesday, September 17, the SC upheld the Commission on Election’s (Comelec) ruling that favored the Cusi group. Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao penned the decision.

According to the SC, the vice chairperson may take over the chairperson’s duties in cases of absence or incapacity, according to PDP Laban’s constitution.

“The SC emphasized that Cusi, as vice chairperson, had the authority to perform functions assigned by  the National Council,” the High Court said.

“The SC also ruled that the actions taken by the Pimentel group — expelling Cusi and Matibag, and appointing Pimentel as acting chairperson — were void, as the Committee does not have such powers under the party’s constitution,” it added.

In 2021, Duterte was sitting as the party’s chairperson, while Cusi was the vice chairperson.

When Pacquiao expressed his intent to run in the 2022 polls, Cusi allegedly held meetings with local leaders and endorsed a different candidate.

The party’s National Executive Committee, led by Pacquiao and Pimentel, passed a resolution to ask Cusi why he should not be expelled due to his actions.

The committee expelled Cusi and Matibag from their positions (Matibag was then serving as secretary general) and a different set of officers were elected.

In a separate assembly, the Cusi group elected different officers — Cusi was the president, while Duterte remained the chairperson.

Given these internal conflict within the party, the Cusi group filed a petition with the Comelec, asking the body to declare the Pimentel faction as illegitimate officers. – Rappler.com