A recent Supreme Court decision upholding the leadership of former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi was welcomed by the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), the political party of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a statement, the party hailed the ruling as a “decisive victory” that validates its internal processes, including the selection of officials and candidates.

The SC ruling “affirms our strict compliance, not only with the laws of the Republic, but also with the internal rules of our Party,” the statement said.

The Supreme Court en banc dismissed a petition from a rival faction led by former senators Aquilino Pimentel III and Emmanuel Pacquiao, upholding the Commission on Elections’ (COMELEC) recognition of the Cusi-led group as the legitimate party leadership. The dispute began in 2021.

Associate Justice Japar B. Dimaampao, who wrote the decision, found that Cusi, then the party’s vice chairperson, was authorized by Duterte, the party chairman at the time, to organize and preside over a key meeting on May 31, 2021.

The court noted that a quorum was present at the meeting, validating its proceedings and all subsequent actions by the Cusi group, including the election of new officers.

The high court also declared the actions of the Pimentel-Pacquiao faction void, saying their committee lacked the authority to expel Cusi and former Duterte Cabinet member Melvin Matibag or to elect new officers.