‘It could also be that Pacquiao is leveraging heavily on the lame duck theory — one that posits that a sitting President in the twilight of his term is just a ceremonial figurehead, vulnerable to power plays and whatnot.’
THIS rift inside PDP-Laban doesn’t seem to be going away, given all indications. President Duterte himself launched a broadside against the president of his own party, Sen. Manny Pacquiao, after the latter had dared criticize President Duterte’s foreign policy towards China as “lacking” and “disheartening.” Clearly irked, Duterte chided his party-mate by saying in the vernacular that Pacquiao should study the issue well before issuing any statements.
A dressing down from the party’s chairman is the last thing a politician angling for higher office like Pacquiao needs at the moment. As it is, it seems that Pacquiao stands on shaky ground within his own party, given his public feud with Energy Secretary and PDP Vice Chairman Alfonso Cusi. Pacquiao’s allies are already gearing up for a fight (as was reported a few days ago) in anticipation of moves to oust Pacquiao from the leadership of the party.
From an outsider looking in, Pacquiao’s plan to gain the support of his party as a presidential or vice-presidential candidate seems to have not been very carefully planned.
For one, all this elbowing and jostling is done in full view of the public, leaving partisans on each side with little room to maneuver or compromise as the public nature of the argument already locks them into place. Judging from the tit-for-tat, it seems that one faction already has a clear idea of who should be the party’s standard bearer for the 2022 elections, while the other is trying to fight that conclusion (will it be inevitable, I wonder?) to make way for his own political plans.
One also wonders about the calculations being made by those allied with Pacquiao on the matter. Do they perhaps estimate that their cause and their plans are good enough to sway the majority of their party-mates to their side, despite the fact that ultimately, it is Duterte who will make the decision for the group? And did anyone bother to stop and think if annoying the decision maker (quite publicly) will help their case, given this widening rift between the factions?
Another possible explanation is that Pacquiao and his allies are laying the groundwork for bolting PDP-Laban, with the hope of taking a considerable amount of its membership along with them. Attempting to do just that will require a lot of chutzpah on Pacquiao’s part, seeing as he will be going against not just the party chairman, but a sitting President at that. Pacquiao might think that he is surrounded by enough hardened politicians, but so is the other side. And we all know the basic rule in power struggles: like moths to a flame, they all gravitate to where the center of power is.
It could also be that Pacquiao is leveraging heavily on the lame duck theory — one that posits that a sitting President in the twilight of his term is just a ceremonial figurehead, vulnerable to power plays and whatnot. His standing in recent surveys may also be bolstering this burst of courage, giving him and his allies the sense that they are gaining momentum and can do practically anything. Will the bell signal a KO for Pacquiao for this round? And who will deliver the final blow?
