PDP-Laban members to visit N. Korea for first-ever, historic meeting

According to the senator, the four delegates, Eastern Samar governor and PDP-Laban Vice-President for Visayas Lutgardo B. Barbo, PDP-Laban Public Information Committee chairman Ronwald Munsayac, PDP-Laban Public Information Committee Vice Chairman Raymundo Roquero, and PDP-Laban member Evan Rebadulla will visit on Wednesday, July 18. (PNA File Photo)

Four members of the country’s ruling party is set to fly to Pyongyang for a ‘historic’ three-day meeting with North Korea’s ruling party – which also marks the ‘first-ever’ visit of a Philippine political party to the capital.

Partido Demoktratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) President Aquilino Martin “Koko” Pimentel III said that this is “the historical starting point of a new dynamic relationship with the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK),” on Sunday, July 15.

According to the senator, the four delegates, Eastern Samar governor and PDP-Laban Vice-President for Visayas Lutgardo B. Barbo, PDP-Laban Public Information Committee chairman Ronwald Munsayac, PDP-Laban Public Information Committee Vice Chairman Raymundo Roquero, and PDP-Laban member Evan Rebadulla, will visit on Wednesday, July 18.

He further said that the visit was arranged a year ago after months of communication between the ruling party’s Vice President for International Affairs Raul Lambino and WPK’s vice chair.

For his part, Lambino confirmed this through a separate statement on Sunday, saying, “The invitation was extended to us months ago, and we feel that this visit could not have come at a better time.”

He then said that this meeting is strictly for a party-to-party diplomacy and a more meaningful relationship between the two nations.

“We are hoping that this ground-breaking initiative will open new doors for further talks, and new opportunities for a more meaningful relationship between our two peoples,” Lambino added.

Both parties will be signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) “affirming their friendship and promoting greater understanding and more meaningful party-to-party talks in the future.”

In a separate statement, also on Sunday, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary and PDD-Laban National Vice Chairman Alfonso Cusi said that the ruling party is prepared to assist the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for closer ties with North Korea.

“The PDP-Laban delegation is charged with the task of forging closer party-to-party and people-to-people ties between our two countries. We offer to the DFA our services to help establish more formal relations between our governments,” he said.