Massive recruitment of new party members by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has opened the floodgates for entry of narco-politicians into the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Laban (PDP-Laban), the party of President Rodrigo Duterte.

This serious accusation has been hurled at Alvarez by PDP-Laban leaders who said that narco-politicians have infiltrated the party through the  Speaker’s current recruitment of new party members.

Alvarez, secretary general of the PDP-Laban, is touring the country in a massive recruitment binge for the administration party that helped propel then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to the Presidency in the 2016 elections.

The accusation against Alvarez is doubly serious, and insulting to President Duterte, in that the administration has an ongoing campaign against illegal drugs.

President Duterte has vowed to eradicate the  illegal drugs trade that involves police, military and government officials.

Narco-politicians are on top of the hate list of the President’s war on drugs.

Raising fear that the entry of narco-politicians into the administration party could undermine the President’s war on drugs, PDP-Laban regional leaders are planning to raise the issue to President Duterte.

Benito Ranque, PDP-Laban deputy secretary general, said the party is monitoring reports that a number of narco-politicians were able to join the PDP-Laban through Alvarez’s recruitment.

The PDP-Laban will not be a “sanctuary” for narco-politicians, said Ranque, who vowed to continue to oppose Alvarez’s ongoing recruitment.

Some politicians want to become PDP-Laban members thinking they can get away from their misdeeds. But the party will not become their sanctuary, he said.

 Cesar Cuntapay, PDP-Laban coordinating council chairman in Mindanao, also opposed the ongoing party reorganization conducted by Alvarez.

Cuntapay said Alvarez is creating instability in the party through his unauthorized recruitment of members and replacing old party members with new recruits.

According to Cuntapay, the reorganization that includes massive recruitment, was not consulted with the national leadership and  violated PDP-Laban protocols.

Cuntapay said Alvarez swore in the new members without them going through a basic membership seminar, which is mandated by the PDP-Laban constitution and bylaws.

Cuntapay said PDP-Laban regional leaders would bring up the issues against Alvarez to President Duterte.