This handout photo from Partido Demokratiko Pilipino shows former President Rodrigo Duterte speaking at the party's anniversary and national council meeting in Cebu City on Apr. 18, 2024. PDP-Laban Facebook page 

MANILA — Former President Rodrigo Duterte and his political allies should have just formed a new party instead of renaming PDP-Laban, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel II, a former president of the party said.

Pimentel, who leads a wing of the party that he says is the legitimate PDP-Laban, made the statement after the Duterte-led party voted to drop "Laban" from its name.

"Laban" refers to Lakas ng Bayan, an opposition party that merged with Partido Demokratiko Pilipino in 1983 to field candidates against the ruling Kilusang Bagong Lipunan.

"They made many changes. Both formal and substantive. From the party name, the constitution, the oath-taking, the handshake, etc," Pimentel said.

"If they had wanted to change the basic character of PDP-Laban, then why didn't they just form their own political party from the start?"

PDP-Laban was the administration party during the Duterte presidency and adopted a new logo featuring a Duterte fist in 2017, when Pimentel was party president.

PDP's National Council adopted the new name at the party's anniversary celebration in Cebu City last week, where it also announced members of its prospective senatorial slate.

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

At that meeting, Duterte said he is staying with the party and will be supporting its candidates in the 2025 polls.

'NOT THE SAME PARTY'

Pimentel brought the question of party leadership to the Supreme Court in February 2023 after the Commission on Elections recognized the faction led by Duterte and former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi as the legitimate PDP-Laban. 

"Why forcibly take over a 'left of center' political party and then bring it all the way to the 'right'?" Pimentel said Monday.

In a post on social media platform X, former Quezon Rep. Lorenzo "Erin" Tañada III — grandson of the late Sen. Lorenzo Tañada of Lakas ng Bayan — "would have welcomed that LABAN is disassociated with PDP because it is not the same PDP that was organized in 1980s."

Pimentel said, however, that PDP-Laban's "ideology will continue to live on in its original members as well as new converts."

READ: Political analyst slams move to drop 'Laban' from party name

Lawyer Tony La Viña, a political analyst and former Dean of the Ateneo de Manila University School of Government, has called the name change illogical because it would mean the party will need to apply for accreditation again and sacrifices the party brand.

"I just don't understand the logic, feeling ko hindi political minded ang nag-isip nito... walang resonation... Walang dating ang PDP as PDP lang," he said.

He added that the move may be an attempt to depart from PDP-Laban's history as an opposition party during the Marcos dictatorship.

"I think this is about fresh start for them. They think na they don't want this party that they are now owning...ayaw nilang ma-link doon sa past."— with a report from Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News