PDP-Laban criticizes Koko Pimentel for using party name in impeachment letter

The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) on Thursday criticized Senate Minority Leader Aquilino 'Koko' Pimentel III for using the party's name in a letter urging the Senate to commence Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial.

In his February 14 communication with Senate President Francis Escudero, Pimentel used PDP Laban’s letterhead despite a March 23, 2023 Comelec ruling declaring the faction led by former President Rodrigo Duterte as the legitimate PDP Laban.

PDP-Laban asserts that only Duterte's group has the right to use the party name and requested Pimentel to stop misusing it, emphasizing that he is now affiliated with the Nacionalista Party.

The party also stated its strong opposition to Vice President Duterte’s impeachment and accused Pimentel of misleading the public about his current political affiliation.

Pimentel defended his actions by pointing out that the Supreme Court has yet to rule on the Comelec decision, leaving room for potential reversals in the future.

Former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who led Duterte's PDP-Laban faction during the split, reportedly told Pimentel that he had not been formally expelled from the group.

Pimentel argued that his father, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., was one of the founders of PDP-Laban and that while he continues to use the name, he ran under the Nacionalista Party with the approval of his faction.