Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The ruling party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) has expelled its vice chairman and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and two other officials for allegedly violating provisions of the party’s constitution.
PDP-Laban executive director Ron Munsayac said Cusi and party deputy secretary general Melvin Matibag and membership committee head Astra Naik violated party rules “by showing allegiance to a political party apart from PDP-Laban.”
“The expulsion of Cusi, Matibag and Naik was explained in one of the three-party resolutions that were issued by Party President Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao and the PDP Laban National Executive Committee (NEC) which constitutes the highest administrative and executive body of the party,” he said in a statement.
The NEC also authorized Pacquiao to form investigative committees to scrutinize complaints about party members who violate their party’s Constitution and commit acts “inimical to the party by showing allegiance to another party,” Munsayac added.
The expulsion of Cusi and two other officials came amid the growing rift between them and Pacquiao.
Cusi had previously called for a national assembly in the party, which Pacquiao said should be ignored since it required Duterte’s and his approval.
READ: Ignore Cusi’s call for nat’l assembly, Pacquiao urges PDP-Laban members
READ: PDP Laban exec: PDP-Laban nat’l assembly must have OK of party prexy
Pacquiao warned Cusi at one point about attempting to “divide” the party after the latter reportedly went around the country consulting with their party mates regarding a resolution urging Duterte to run for the vice presidency in 2022.
READ: Pacquiao hits Cusi: Don’t divide PDP-Laban
Munsayac said another resolution was also issued to declare as null the March 31 meeting and the scheduled July 17 assembly of the PDP-Laban National Council called upon by Cusi and Matibag.
He added that the three resolutions were issued in response to a manifesto signed by over 10,000 grassroots members of PDP-Laban, “which condemned “this systematic and underhanded effort by some party newcomers and a handful of party officers to sabotage the present leadership, so they may advance a political movement that is against the best interest of our beloved party.”
Under Resolution No. 6 dated June 12, the NEC formally removed Cusi, Matibag and Naik from the party for violation of Article VII Section 6 of the party Constitution, Munsayac said.
“Vice Chairman Cusi is already manipulating the party to support the Duterte-Duterte tandem which is a blatant admission of supporting Sara Duterte Carpio for President, who is not a member of the Party,” the resolution read.
“He is guilty of having allegiance to a candidate and her political ideals and party. Such a candidate does not even believe in Federalism, her party fielded candidates against and opposed official candidates of PDP-Laban in 2019 Elections, and she is vehemently opposed to joining the PDP-Laban Party,” it added.
With their expulsion, “all rights and privileges of Cusi, Matibag and Naik as members of the Party and all their positions or authorities in the Party are likewise immediately terminated.”
PDP-Laban members were also directed to “ cease and desist from following, supporting or giving legitimacy to any directive, resolution, notices, communications or actions” of Cusi, Naik, and Matibag “related to or derived and resulting from the aforementioned acts and the meeting held on May 31, 2021.”