Following a leadership vacuum, the newly-elected Partido Federal ng Pilipinas
(PFP) officers are urging for support from the hierarchy of the party that pushed
for the presidency of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“We remain committed to ensuring the integrity, effectiveness and transparency
of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas,” said PFP President Leandro B. Verceles Jr.
Verceles, a former governor of Catanduanes, told Special Assistant to the
President Antonio F. Lagdameo Jr. in a January 10, 2024 letter that all provisions
of the party constitution and by-laws (CBL) and the revised corporation code are
being followed after the term of former officers expired last September 2023.
The expiration of term last September 2023 resulted in leadership vacuum and
constitutional crisis. Thus, reorganization and election of new officers took place.
Along with PFP National Secretary-General Antonio C. Rodriguez and National
Treasurer Antonio C. Marfori, Verceles explained the constitutional crisis
stemmed from the refusal of former three key officials to leave their positions.
These were Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo Jr. of South Cotabato as national
president, Thompson C. Lantion as secretary-general, and Atty. George S. Briones
as general counsel.
“Had Tamayo, Lantion and Briones followed the party constitution and by-
laws—by conducting an election for party national officers before September 18,
2023 and potentially reelected themselves—the constitutional crisis could have
been averted,” said Verceles, Rodriguez and Marfori in a January 9, 2024 letter.
Tamayo, Lantion and Briones were also accused of concealing the CBL guidelines
on the two-year term.
Other PFP national officers are Cong. Ferdinand Alexander A. Marcos III as
national executive committee chairman; Atty. Rudyard A. Avilla III as general
counsel; Assam M. Ullangkaya as national auditor; Gabriel A. Sotto as vice
president for Luzon; Lorenzo G. Sagucio Jr. as vice president for Visayas; Assam
Ulangkaya as vice president for Mindanao; Manuel D. Andal as vice president for
political affairs; and Julius Caesar O. Aguiluz as senior political adviser.
