PDP-Laban’s membership dwindles, Lakas-CMD now dominant House party

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 15) — From 65 at the start of the 19th Congress in 2022, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) now has just 15 members in the House of Representatives, as lawmakers moved to other political parties.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, PDP-Laban's vice president for Mindanao, said the number of party stalwarts in the House could dwindle to as little as five, as more lawmakers — including himself — will be jumping ship in the coming days.

«I'm already weighing my options. Most probably I'll also be transferring to another party,» Pimentel said.

PDP-Laban was the ruling party during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte, with over 120 members in the House.

Pimentel attributed the mass exodus of PDP-Laban members to the rise of Lakas-CMD and Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), both of which are considered administration parties.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is the chairman of PFP, while Lakas-CMD is led by his cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

«We as members of Congress should also be aligned or attuned with the direction of the leadership. It seems that the direction of PDP-Laban is going in another direction. So probably the members deemed it prudent to transfer to other parties because they can't serve two masters,» Pimentel explained.

He said Duterte's recent attacks against the House might have prompted some lawmakers to leave PDP-Laban, where he sits as chairman.

One of the significant departures from the party was that of Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio «Dong» Gonzales, who announced his resignation in the plenary during deliberations on a House resolution that sought to uphold the chamber's integrity and affirm support for Romualdez.

Data from the House rules committee showed that as of Nov. 14, Lakas-CMD is now the dominant party in the House with 82 members. It is followed by the National Unity Party with 44 members, Nacionalista Party with 40, the Nationalist People's Coalition with 38, PDP-Laban with 15, and Liberal Party with 7.