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MANILA - Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is "more PDP" than Sen. Manny Pacquiao, the expelled vice chairman of the ruling political party said Tuesday.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who rejects his expulsion from PDP-Laban where he was vice chairman, said Duterte-Carpio ran for mayor under the party. Pacquiao, meanwhile, has not run for office using PDP-Laban's certificate of nomination and acceptance, said Cusi.

"Kung sasabihin natin na who is more PDP? Si Mayor Inday is more PDP kasi she ran for PDP when she ran for mayor," Cusi told ANC's Headstart.

(If we will ask who is more PDP, Mayor Inday is more PDP because she ran for PDP when she ran for mayor.)

Cusi added, Duterte-Carpio was a third generation member of the party, following her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, and her grandmother, Soledad Duterte, before the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago was formed.

Asked if PDP-Laban will ally with Duterte-Carpio's HNP--which is now aligned with 5 national parties--Cusi said: "It is possible. But are we working on that? We’re not."

On whether the party will endorse the president's daughter for the 2022 elections, Cusi said this will be subject to the party's process.

"Whether you are a member of PDP or an outsider, there is a process for that. Ang partido naman titingin sa isang magiging potential leader: ito ba talaga ia-advance niya yung ideologies and programs of the party? Kahit kapartido ka, kung di mo mai-a-advance, I don’t think that you will be chosen," he said.

However, Cusi rejected the accusation raised against him and 2 others that was cited for their expulsion, that they were supporting Duterte-Carpio's presidential run despite her not being a member of the party.

"There’s no basis for that. There's really no basis," he said.

• PDP-Laban expels Cusi, 2 other officials amid growing rift with Pacquiao

He said there's nothing wrong with PDP-Laban Executive Vice Chairman Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III being opposed to supporting outsider candidates as this is "his personal preference," but neither him nor Pimentel constitute the whole party.

"We have to present that to the body and the body has to discuss that. Sinasabi ng partido (The party says) that we are democratic, participative, and consultative," he said.