Pacquiao, who has left the country to prepare for his next boxing match in Las Vegas, was also absent in another PDP-Laban assembly last week that was attended by Duterte, Cusi and their allies. The meeting discussed resolutions urging Duterte to run for vice president. Last Friday, Pacquiao's group expelled Cusi, PDP-Laban deputy secretary general Melvin Matibag and membership committee head Astra Naik for allegedly "showing allegiance" to another political party. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the PDP-Laban meeting to be held on July 17 in Clark is in the calendar of Duterte. Duterte then raised the tax evasion complaint against Pacquiao, saying cheating the government is also a form of corruption.

Source: Philippine Star July 12, 2021 11:26 UTC