Pimentel blasts Cusi wing’s dropping of 'Laban' in PDP-Laban name

MANILA — Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Monday lashed at the PDP-Laban group identified with former President Rodrigo Duterte over its latest move to inject changes in the political party that was formed by his father and namesake, the late former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr.

Pimentel was referring to the group’s decision to drop the term “Laban” in the PDP-Laban’s name.

“Kung gusto rin naman pala nila ng ibang partido, kasi binago nila lahat eh, ba’t hindi na lang sila nagbuo ng sarili nilang partido hindi naman bawal iyon. Wala pang masasaktan, wala pang aangal,” Pimentel remarked in an interview.

(Looks like they wanted to have another party since they’ve changed everything. Why didn’t just put up a new party, which is not prohibited and nobody would get hurt or will end up complaining.)

The younger Pimentel issued the reaction days after the Duterte-led party, during its national council meeting and anniversary celebration in Cebu City, swiftly adopted a motion to officially drop “Laban” from the name of the party.

READ: Duterte stays with PDP; party drops 'Laban' from name

PDP-Laban, or Partido ng Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, was originally two separate parties founded during the Marcos regime by then opposition senators Nene Pimentel and Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr.

On February 6, 1983, the two leaders agreed to merge their parties, thereby giving birth to the PDP-Laban party which, until today, continues to perform its role as a “constructive opposition” of the administration, Pimentel said.

In the same interview, Pimentel, one of the founding members of the original PDP-Laban, also hit the many changes that the faction applies to their party practices, which he said, is unacceptable to them.

“Nakakalungkot na pinag-awayan pa namin iyong partido tapos ganon lang pala ang kanilang plano na palitan ang pangalan, palitan ang symbolisms, pati iyong pago-oath ng kaliwang kamay, gagawin na nilang kanang kamay, even iyong party handshake namin using the left hand I’m sure papalitan na rin nila iyon,” Pimentel said.

(It’s saddening that we are fighting over a party which they only plan to change the name, change the symbolisms. Even our oath-taking style using the left hand, they now use the right hand. Even our handshake where we use the left hand, now they are using the right hand.)

“So, kahit baguhin pa naman iyong pangalan ng partido nila iyong tunay na PDP-Laban iyong mga original at naniniwala ay tuloy-tuloy pa rin po kaming magsasama-sama, at tuloy-tuloy pa rin kami mag-advocate sa pagpapaliwanag ng pinaniniwalaan ng PDP-Laban,” he added.

(Even if you change the name of the party, the original PDP-Laban members believe and maintain our togetherness, and our advocacy to explain the real belief of PDP-Laban.)

READ: PDP-Laban faction questions Comelec ruling before SC

The fight to regain the full control of their party will continue, he stressed.

“Sayang ang history ng PDP-Laban, kaya ipaglalaban namin iyan, kaming mga lehitimong PDP-Laban, original tapos iyong true believers ideology ng PDP-Laban, itutuloy namin ang causa ng PDP-Laban at ilalaban namin even to the Supreme Court kaya nga may pending case kami diyan. Sayang eh. I mean gusto naming ituloy ang causa ng PDP-Laban ang kabila ayaw nilang ituloy gusto nilang baguhin magbuo na lang kayo ng sarili niyong partido hindi naman bawal iyon eh,” Pimentel said.

(PDP-Laban’s history will just be wasted that’s why we are fighting for it. We, the legitimate PDP-Laban are fighting for it even up to the Supreme Court that’s why we have a pending case. We want to continue the PDP-Laban’s cause, while the group doesn’t want it to live on. What they want is to change it.)

'WE COULD HAVE PARTED AS FRIENDS'

In 2016, the Pimentel-led party decided to adopt fellow Mindanaoan Duterte as their presidential candidate, which eventually led the latter to influence and control the party through then Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.

The infighting eventually resulted to the Duterte and Pimentel camps’ fight for legitimacy before the Commission on Elections, with the latter siding with the former president’s group later on.

The Commission on Election's decision is still under appeal to the Supreme Court.

Pimentel said such endorsement was based on how they dealt with each other--which was “in good faith."

He has no regrets for choosing Duterte, the senator said adding that what only saddens him is how they parted ways.

“Nakita ko naman iyong sincerity ng all those involved in 2016. So, no regrets. Nagbabago lang ang thinking ng tao. Pero ang malungot kasi dito pwede namang nagkaroon kami ng parting as friends eh. Pwede naman eh, di ba? Pwede naman kaming magkaroon ng parang peaceful separation,” Pimentel pointed out.

(I saw the sincerity of all those involved in 2016. So, no regret. A person’s thinking really changes. But what’s saddening is that we could have parted as friends which can be made. We could have a peaceful separation.)

“Ang nagyari nag-agawan pa ng partido iyon pala papalitan din nila ang essence ng partido. At any rate, ang masasabi ko lang, ang political parties ay binubuo ng mga like-minded individuals para sa causa nila. Causa is an idea. You can never kill an idea,” Pimentel stressed.

(What happened was the infighting over a party which they would change the essence later on. But at any rate, I would like to say that political parties are composed of like-minded individuals for their cause. Their cause is an idea. You can never kill an idea.)

TOLENTINO: DROPPING OF 'LABAN' IS 'EVOLUTIONARY' 

Sen. Francis Tolentino, who was in the Cebu gathering, meanwhile defended their group’s decision to remove the name “Laban” in their party name.

What happened was like a party rebranding, the senator said.

“To drop the name Laban is an evolutionary process of a shift in the ideology because Laban would always be to speculate and conclude fight, always be confrontational and oppositional. Perhaps the rebranding would probably be directed to moderate Filipino voters,” Tolentino said, as he clarified that he was not part of those who decided to change the name.

The PDP-Laban is now a 41-year-old political party.

Just like Tolentino was also endorsed by the party for the 2025 senatorial elections, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has thrown his support for their party’s new name.

“It was the party's decision as it must adapt to the changing conditions of time and make it more responsive and reflective of evolving realities of the country's political arena,” Go said in a statement.

Go also assured his support to the two leaders of the nation.