With the sudden emergence of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) as the dominant political party in the country, local party leaders are now embarking on a massive recruitment campaign and are now in the process of re-evaluating its present political structure.

Former Panglao Mayor Dr. Doloreich Dumaluan,PDP provincial chairman, who held the party together during the last presidential elections that saw the victory of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, PDP’s presidential standard bearer is now holding “exploratory talks” with members of the executive committee of the local chapter.

Dumaluan told The Chronicle that Vice Governor Atty. Dionisio Balite is now being mulled as the party’s provincial chairman in consideration of his ranking as the highest elected PDP candidate who won in the last elections.

Balite won over Liberal Party vice gubernatorial bet incumbent Vice Governor Concepcion Lim by more than 20,000 votes in the May, 2016 elections.

However, Dumaluan who is concurrently the PDP-Laban’s Secretary General for Central Visayas clarified that Balite and all other candidates who were issued Certificates of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA) under the PDP should undergo a basic membership seminar as required by party membership rules to qualify as a regular PDP-Laban member.

A provincial assembly to elect a new set of officers including the chairmanship of the party is now being set and is now awaiting instructions from the main headquarters in Manila.

According to Dumaluan, in the coming PDP election in the province Balite will be nominated for the position of provincial chairman of the party.

At present, the incumbent party officials including the provincial chairman maintains the “status quo” pending further orders from Manila.

Dumaluan issued the statement to squelch talks circulating that a new set of officers has been chosen that would sow confusion among its members.

During the last elections, the party was swamped by requests for the issuance of CONA’s following the declaration of Duterte to run for president under the PDP-Laban.

At present all PDP candidates during the May 2016 elections who were not regular members of the party were considered as associate members.

In Bohol, Duterte won over LP standard bearer Mar Roxas by 83% of the total votes cast. (Chito M. Visarra)