In a Senate subcommittee hearing on the judiciary’s budget proposal for 2023, Sen. Robinhood Padilla claimed that the Supreme Court has “decided” on the chairmanship issue between the two factions of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
This is false.
STATEMENT
In the course of Padilla’s questioning, the legislator, who belongs to one faction of the party, described former president Rodrigo Duterte as chairman of PDP-Laban.
This prompted Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel, whose father was a co-founder PDP-Laban and heads the other bloc, to stand up in protest and said:
“Senator Padilla mentioned a name as chairman of the PDP-Laban and that is not correct as far as this representation is concerned, because I am the chairman of the PDP-Laban, the original PDP-Laban party.”
Source: Senate of the Philippines Official Youtube Channel, Committee on Finance – Subcommittee “A” (September 19, 2022), Sept. 19, 2022, watch from 1:05:22 to 1:05:39
Padilla then apologized, saying:
“Pasensya na po kasi ang alam ko po, nadesisyunan na ng Supreme Court na ang PDP-Laban eh ano — pasensya na po kayo. Wala po akong intensyon na makasagasa o ano.”
(I apologize because what I know is that the Supreme Court has already decided that PDP-Laban is — I’m sorry. I have no intention to offend.)
Source: watch from 1:06:51 to 1:07:05
Pimentel corrected his colleague in the Senate once again and clarified that the dispute on the party’s chairmanship has not reached the Supreme Court.
FACT
The PDP-Laban’s leadership squabble in the 2022 elections has not been raised to the Supreme Court. In a text message to VERA Files Fact Check, Pimentel said the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to declare the constituents of the Alfonso Cusi-led group, like Padilla, as “true and official” members of PDP-Laban for the 2022 political exercise is still on appeal before the poll body.
In a different and separate leadership row also within PDP-Laban in the 2019 mid-term elections, however, the high court recognized the Pimentel-led faction and its leaders as the legitimate officers “authorized to act for and in [sic] behalf” of the party for the polls.
The SC’s decision came after a PDP-Laban group led by lawyer Rogelio Garcia ousted Pimentel as party president alongside other officers, and elected their own in a July 2018 assembly.
This affirmed the Comelec’s ruling in Nov. 2018 that also declared documents bearing the name of Pimentel as PDP-Laban chairman emeritus as “legitimate” and “official” papers of the party for the 2019 elections.
BACKSTORY
PDP-Laban was again split into two when members present at an assembly in Clark, Pampanga elected Cusi as the party’s “new president” on July 17, 2021, subsequently ousting former senator Manny Pacquiao as president.
This came after Pacquiao made a series of statements alleging corruption in the Duterte administration and declaring that the country’s former president’s handling of the West Philippine Sea dispute was “lacking.”
The “original” PDP-Laban’s national council elected Pimentel as the party’s chairman on Aug. 29, 2021 and endorsed Pacquiao’s bid for president in the 2022 national elections. The Cusi group, on the other hand, backed Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
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Sources
Supreme Court of the Philippines, DCA Raul B. Villanueva is New Court Administrator, March 1, 2022
Supreme Court of the Philippines Public Information Office Twitter, Deputy Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva has been appointed…, March 1, 2022
Senate of the Philippines Official Youtube Channel, Committee on Finance – Subcommittee “A” (September 19, 2022), Sept. 19, 2022
CNN Philippines, Pimentel group prevails in PDP Laban row, Nov. 30, 2018
Inquirer.net, Comelec declares Pimentel’s group as the ‘legitimate’ PDP Laban, Nov. 30, 2018
Rappler, Pimentel group is legitimate PDP-Laban – Comelec, Nov. 30, 2018
On the 2022 elections
- ABS-CBN News, Comelec recognizes Duterte-backed PDP-Laban wing over Pimentel faction, May 6, 2022
- Business Mirror, Comelec: Cusi’s PDP-Laban faction official wing of party, not Pacquiao’s, May 6, 2022
- Inquirer.net, Comelec: Cusi wing ‘true’ PDP-Laban, May 7, 2022
- Philstar.com, Pimentel to appeal Comelec’s move declaring Cusi group as true PDP-Laban, May 6, 2022
Supreme Court of the Philippines, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Dayan, represented by Rogelio V. Garcia, National President Vs. Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Dayan, represented by Senator Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III, and the Commission on Elections, June 18, 2019
On the 2018 PDP-Laban split
- ABS-CBN News, No changes yet in PDP-Laban officers, says Davao solon, July 30, 2018
- CNN Philippines, Duterte to meet with two factions to unite PDP-Laban, July 28, 2018
- Rappler, Duterte to ‘unify’ PDP-Laban factions, July 28, 2018
On the 2021 PDP-Laban split
- GMA News Online, PDP-Laban ousts Pacquiao as president, installs Cusi, July 17, 2021
- Philstar.com, Cusi faction knocks out Pacquiao as PDP-Laban president, July 17, 2021
- Rappler, Pacquiao ousted as president of Duterte party PDP-Laban, July 17, 2021
On Pacquiao
- Inquirer.net, Duterte to Pacquiao: Name corrupt agencies or I’ll campaign against you, June 29, 2021
- CNN Philippines, ‘Hindi ako sinungaling’: Pacquiao accepts Duterte challenge to expose govt corruption, June 29, 2021
- ABS-CBN News, ‘Magsimula tayo sa DOH’: Pacquiao accepts Duterte’s challenge to name corrupt agencies, June 29, 2021
- Nikkei Asia, Pacquaio clashes with Duterte as boxer ponders presidential bid, June 10, 2021
- ABS-CBN News, Pacquiao tells Duterte: My stance on West PH Sea reflects sentiment of Filipino majority, June 9, 2021
- CNN Philippines, Pacquiao defends self after Duterte’s remarks: I’m a Filipino voicing out what needs to be said, June 9, 2021
- Inquirer.net, ‘Nakukulangan ako:’ Pacquiao finds Duterte’s recent stance vs China over WPS lacking, May 3, 2021
On Pimentel PDP-Laban and endorsement
- Inquirer.net, Pimentel replaces Duterte as PDP-Laban chairman, Aug. 29, 2021
- ABS-CBN News, Koko Pimentel elected as new PDP-Laban chair replacing Duterte, says faction, Aug. 29, 2021
- Rappler, ‘Original’ PDP-Laban ousts Duterte as party chairman, Aug. 29, 2021
- Inquirer.net Official Youtube Channel, Pimentel PDP-Laban faction declares Pacquiao as presidential bet for 2022, Sept. 19, 2021
- GMA News Online, Pacquiao chosen as PDP-Laban faction standard bearer for Eleksyon 2022, Sept. 19, 2021
- Rappler, HIGHLIGHTS: PDP-Laban Pacquiao faction national assembly, Sept. 19. 2021
- Inquirer.net, Cusi-led PDP-Laban wing endorses Bongbong Marcos for president, March 22, 2022
- Philstar.com, Cusi faction’s endorsement of Marcos shows illegitimacy, PDP-Laban stalwart Pimentel says, March 22, 2022
- GMA News Online, Cusi-led PDP-Laban wing endorses Bongbong’s prexy bid, March 22, 2022
(Guided by the code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, VERA Files tracks the false claims, flip-flops, misleading statements of public officials and figures, and debunks them with factual evidence. Find out more about this initiative and our methodology.)
