Senator Aquilino 'Koko' Pimentel III on Tuesday slammed the endorsement of PDP-Laban's Alfonso Cusi-wing to the presidential candidacy of Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr.
Pimentel, who heads the faction that supports the presidential bid of Sen. Manny Pacquiao, said it is time for the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to dismiss the petition of "usurpers" Cusi and his cohorts.
“With this latest action from Sec. Cusi and his cohorts have manifested that they are total strangers to PDP LABAN. They don’t even acknowledge that PDP LABAN was established to oppose the Marcos dictatorship,” Pimentel said in a tweet.
“Time for Comelec to dismiss the petition of these usurpers!” he added.
PDP-Laban was formed in the 1980s as an opposition coalition against the Marcos dictatorship. The party was formed by the merger of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino founded Pimentel's father late Nene Pimentel Jr. and Lakas ng Bayan led by then Sen. Benigno "Ninoy Aquino Jr.
“In Germany for example, a political party formed to oppose Adolf Hitler will definitely not support an Adolf Hitler Jr. Logic lang yan (That’s just logic)! Consistent with the PDP LABAN history and party constitution!” Pimentel further said.
In September last year, the PDP-Laban wing led by Cusi asked the Comelec to declare the group led by Pimentel and Pacquiao as illegitimate.
The same statement was echoed by presidential candidate Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who then urged the members of the PDP-Laban to ignore Cusi's endorsement.
In an ambush interview with reporters, Pacquiao said supporting Marcos' bid is a slap to the legacy of the political party, which was formed to oppose the regime of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, the father, and namesake of Marcos Jr.
“Baka nalimutan ni Cusi na ang PDP ay nabuo against sa Marcos regime. Baka nakalimutan lang niya. Lahat ng miyembro ng PDP, huwag po natin sundin si Cusi," the senator said when asked in reaction to the endorsement.
[Maybe Cusi forgot that PDP was made to go against the Marcos regime. Maybe he just forgot. I appeal to all members of PDP-Laban, do not follow Cusi.]
