The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has maintained its “temporary accommodation” policy to the two opposing Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) factions in the printed ballots pending the resolution of their pending leadership dispute.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said they opted to allow the aspiring candidates of the faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi and as well as other faction led by Senator Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao to both use the PDP-Laban affiliation in their printed ballots.
He said they would keep the status quo until the Comelec en banc finally decides on which of the two factions will become recognized as the official PDP-Laban.
The decision is also expected to determine the number of watchers the two factions will be allowed to deploy in polling precincts during the 2022 elections.
When asked if the said measure can be considered as a “special” treatment for the administration’s ruling party, Jimenez said it was not since they have taken similar action before.
“A case before also involved the ruling administration party. It is just that before, the issues involved were much clearer and less complicated and again we are now nearing the elections,” Jimenez said in an online news forum on Wednesday.
To note, Cusi’s camp asked Comelec last September to declare the group of Pacquiao as “illegal representatives” of PDP-Laban.
The split happened after Cusi’s group held a national assembly last July 17, which led to the energy secretary’s election as president of PDP-Laban and ousting Pacquiao from the said position.
Pacquiao’s PDP-Laban wing rejected the result of the said election.