President Rodrigo Duterte shares a light moment with officers of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) led by its President and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and PDP-Laban Secretary-General and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on the sidelines of the PDP-Lapan 35th Anniversary Celebration at the Philippine International Convention center (PICC) Grounds in Pasay City on March 12, 2017. Albert Alcain, Malacanang Photo
MANILA- There are still no changes in the list of officers of PDP-Laban despite disarray within the political party, a lawmaker said Monday.
This, after a faction led by a Rogelio Garcia replaced party president, Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, and elected their own set of leaders.
Speaking to ANC, Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles said "nothing has changed" in the list of party officers but noted that PDP-Laban has to discuss the brewing power struggle.
"Nothing has changed in terms of who the officers are but obviously we have to address the elephant in the room and that is for the party membership to start discussing now if there will be a shifting or changing of the guards so to speak, or changing of the leadership of the party," he told ANC's "Headstart."
At present, Nograles said Pimentel is still the party president; Davao del Sur Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez is still the secretary-general; and President Rodrigo Duterte is still the party chairman.
Nograles said the faction that held elections for the party last week is the same group that has been questioning the moves of Pimentel and Alvarez.
"We took it as something that happens in political parties once you get new members, some resistance," he said.
"It's a natural consequence of a small party getting bigger," he added.
Nograles also clarified that prior to the supposed rogue election last week, members of the party were already warned by the PDP-Laban leadership.
"The PDP-Laban leadership already issued notices. We were all forewarned, we were all told," he said.
Pimentel previously said that those who attended the supposed party election last week are rogue members and people who are not even part of the party.
"They are usurpers of party authority and shall be dealt with in accordance with existing election and criminal laws and party rules," he said.
Pimentel was removed as Senate President by his peers in May and was replaced by Sen. Vicente "Tito" Sotto III.
Alvarez meanwhile was ousted as Speaker on the day Duterte delivered his third State of the Nation Address and was replaced by Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
NO REASON TO JUMP SHIP
Despite the party's loss of leadership in the House of Representatives and Senate, Nograles said there is no reason to leave PDP-Laban yet.
"As of the moment, there's no reason for us to move," he said, noting that Arroyo who was elected as new House Speaker, is also a member of PDP-Laban.
Arroyo was sworn in as the country's first female House Speaker last week following a power tussle with Alvarez that eclipsed Duterte's third SONA.
"The only thing that happened is the election of the new Speaker.
What happened during that day was we saw different parties took party stands in electing the new Speaker," Nograles said.
Alvarez had recognized Arroyo as his replacement and urged his colleagues to "go back to work and move on."
Duterte is set to call a caucus to address the factions within his political party, his aide Bong Go said Sunday.