PDP-Laban founding member appeals to keep VP Sara out of party feud

An original founding member of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) appealed on Friday for both factions of the party to keep Vice President Sara Duterte out of the ongoing dispute, emphasizing that she was never a PDP-Laban member. The party, which propelled her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, to the presidency in the 2016 elections, should not involve her in its internal conflict, he said.

Benito Ranque, a founding member and former PDP-Laban secretary, told the Daily Tribune that it is unfair to drag VP Sara into the party’s feud. He pointed out that the party was founded by the late former Senator Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr., the father of Senator Koko Pimentel, who has urged the Senate to expedite the Vice President’s impeachment trial.

Senator Koko Pimentel invoked the PDP-Laban party in an official letter to Senate President Chiz Escudero, requesting the impeachment trial of the Vice President to proceed.

“VP Sara was never a member of the party, although her father Tatay Digong, was an original member of the party,” Ranque said.

Ranque, who was removed as secretary-general after the party was reorganized under the faction led by former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, later helped establish the Marcos-Sara Duterte Alliance (MASADA) to support the Marcos-Duterte tandem in the 2022 presidential elections.

The elder Pimentel founded PDP-Laban in 1981 as an opposition mayor in Cagayan de Oro, later rising to Senate President, where he presided over the impeachment trial of former President Joseph Estrada. Before retiring from politics, he handed over the party’s leadership to his son, Senator Koko Pimentel.

PDP-Laban played a key role in catapulting the late President Corazon Aquino into power in 1986, and later, President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 when he decided to join the presidential race.

President Duterte was among the original party members and was formally sworn into PDP-Laban when he ran for Davao City mayor in 2001.

Ranque was among those who laid the groundwork for Duterte’s presidency, as PDP-Laban initially fielded Martin Diño, then party secretary-general for Central Luzon, as its presidential candidate while Duterte was still undecided about joining the race. Eventually, Duterte replaced Diño as the party’s official candidate.

At that time, the elder Pimentel had already relinquished his post to his son, Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, who became the party chairman emeritus.

After President Duterte assumed office, the party became embroiled in controversy, but the elder Pimentel distanced himself from the administration’s party affairs, stating that he was no longer involved.

"Whatever the party does in accordance with the rules of the party regarding any party matters, that will prevail” Pimentel told the DAILY TRIBUNE before his passing.

He noted that PDP-Laban had survived past crises and remained a major political force.

At its peak, the party boasted over 50,000 card-bearing members, including the so-called “Super Majority” in the House of Representatives, led by former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

During that period, PDP-Laban members included numerous congressmen, governors, and mayors across the country.