Negros Occidental Rep. Albee Benitez, head of the powerful Visayan bloc and a key PDP-Laban leader in the House of Representatives, yesterday laughed off speculations of an impending exodus of members, mostly congressmen, from President Duterte’s political party.
Benitez, who has been asked by House Speaker Gloria M. Arroyo to help speed up the transition in the change of House leadership, denied he will lead fellow PDP-Laban congressmen in abandoning the party, saying that all members are fully aware that such move could lead to political suicide.
“It will be politically unwise to let go of PDP-Laban party as it has established a formidable network of leaders from the grassroots to the national level,” Benitez said.
House Deputy Speaker Rolando Andaya had earlier claimed that disenchantment in the party leadership is expected to lead a number of PDP-Laban members in the House to jump ship.
Andaya said that there is a possibility that Lakas-CMD will be the new vehicle of resigning party members. He added that Lakas-CMD, a political party founded by Arroyo, will likely hold an alliance with Hugpong ng Pagbabago, a regional party in Mindanao organized by presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
A report quoting sources in the House backed Andaya’s claim.
Benitez said such situation is clearly incredulous, considering that Mayor Sara’s father, the Chief Executive, heads PDP-Laban as party chairman. “I see no reason why the President will abandon the party,” he stated.
The Negros Occidental lawmaker added: “I definitely feel it will be counterproductive to the administration as well as to their allies to make such ill-advised decision.” (Ben R. Rosario)
