Key Facts
- Dispute start date
- March 12, 2021
- Factions formed
- 2 (Cusi faction and Pacquiao faction)
- COMELEC ruling date
- May 6, 2022
- Legitimate faction ruled
- Cusi-led faction recognized by COMELEC
- Party founded
- 1983
Strategic Narrative Overview
The dispute escalated into two distinct factions: one loyal to Pacquiao and another aligned with Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and the Duterte administration. On July 17, 2021, a national assembly convened by the Cusi faction elected Cusi as party president, displacing Pacquiao. Both factions competed for recognition as the legitimate PDP–Laban, with the contest ultimately referred to the Commission on Elections for adjudication.
01 / The Origins
PDP–Laban, the ruling party of the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte, experienced rising internal tension after Senator Manny Pacquiao was named interim party president in December 2020. Beginning March 12, 2021, Pacquiao publicly criticized Duterte over the South China Sea dispute, alleged corruption in government agencies, the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the party's endorsement of candidates for the 2022 presidential election, fracturing the longstanding alliance between the two figures.
03 / The Outcome
The Commission on Elections ruled on May 6, 2022 that the Cusi-led faction constituted the legitimate PDP–Laban. The Supreme Court affirmed this ruling in July 2025. The dispute effectively ended Pacquiao's role within the party and reshaped PDP–Laban's internal leadership ahead of and following the 2022 national elections, with the Duterte-aligned faction retaining formal control of the party apparatus.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Manny Pacquiao.
Side B
1 belligerent
Alfonso Cusi, Rodrigo Duterte.