Two House deputy speakers have been named regional vice presidents in the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) now led by boxing-icon-turned-senator Manny Pacquiao.

Pampanga 3rd District Representative Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr is now the ruling party’s vice president for Luzon, while Surigao de Sur 2nd District Representative Johnny Pimentel was appointed vice president for the Caraga Administrative Region.

The two House deputy speakers took their respective oaths before Pacquiao last Thursday, December 3, a day after the senator took over as party president during the PDP-Laban fellowship night.

House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco became the party’s executive vice president, a post previously held by Gonzales, that same evening.

Another ranking lawmaker, Senior Deputy Speaker Salvador “Doy” Leachon, was also named PDP-Laban’s spokesperson.

Leachon, Oriental Mindoro 1st District congressman, is among the PDP-Laban stalwarts closest to Velasco. He stood by the Marinduque congressman despite several lawmakers bolting from the ruling party in the past months. 

The developments within PDP-Laban came just two months after Velasco successfully deposed his rival and Taguig City-Pateros 1st District Representative Alan Peter Cayetano as House Speaker. 

Velasco’s takeover helped bring back a semblance of power to the ruling PDP-Laban, which continues to lose members among district lawmakers despite it being the party of President Rodrigo Duterte. 

Pacquiao becoming PDP-Laban president also fueled talks that he would run for president in 2022. But the party said it is still “too early” to talk about the presidential elections.

“We are not beholden to big businesses, foreign entities, nor vested interests, but only to the Filipino people. We are here to fight for the poor, the jobless, the homeless, the voiceless and the hopeless. This is what the PDP-Laban under Manny Pacquiao will stand for,” Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao’s senatorial term will end in 2022. He will be eligible to run for another term in the Senate, or else for some other position.

PDP-Laban had struggled for unity and survival in the lead-up to the 2019 midterm elections. At the local level, some PDP-Laban members ran against another party mate or against another Duterte ally. 

In the Senate race, however, 4 out of the 5 candidates that PDP-Laban fielded won seats in the upper chamber. They are former top cop Ronald dela Rosa, Duterte’s former close aid Bong Go, former presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino, and reelectionist Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, whom Pacquiao replaced as party president. 

Then-Maguindanao 2nd District congressman Zajud Mangudadatu was the sole PDP-Laban bet who failed in his Senate bid. – Rappler.com