PDP-Laban tells Pimentel: Stop using party name

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III files his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) as the representative of Marikina’s first district on the sixth day of the filing of COCs in San Juan City. | PHOTO: Faith Argosino / INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) has asked Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III to stop using the party’s name.

This came after Pimentel sent a letter to Senate President Francis Escudero, saying it was the duty of the chamber to immediately act on the impeachment complaint lodged against Vice President Sara Duterte.

“PDP-Laban” was written under Pimentel’s name in the letter.

“The PDP-Laban kindly requests the Honorable Senator to refrain from misusing the name PDP-Laban and misleading the Filipino people about his current party affiliation,” the party said in a statement on Thursday.

“The party is vehemently opposed to the impeachment of the Vice President and his use of the PDP-Laban name in an official letter to the Senate President makes it appear that the party has taken a different position,” the party added.

READ: Pimentel tells Escudero: Acting fast on Duterte’s impeachment is Senate duty

Duterte’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, chairs PDP-Laban.

The party is the result of the merger of PDP and Lakas ng Bayan. PDP was founded by Pimentel’s father, the late Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr.

PDP-Laban cited the 2023 Commission on Elections ruling declaring Duterte’s faction as the official party against Pimentel’s wing.

READ: It’s final: Comelec says Duterte-led PDP-Laban is official party

PDP-Laban also pointed out that Pimentel was running for Marikina 1st District representative under the Nacionalista Party.