SEN. Emmanuel Pacquiao is seeking a meeting with President Duterte, chairman of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), to iron out a “minor misunderstanding” within the ruling party, another party official said yesterday.
Pacquiao, acting party president, opposed and boycotted a national council meeting held on Monday in Cebu City.
The meeting resulted in a resolution asking Duterte to run for vice president in next year’s elections, with his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio, as standard bearer.
Pacquiao is believed to be eyeing the presidency next year.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, asked about the resolution, said the President is thinking about it.
“Siyempre po siya ay na-nominate, kinakailangan pag-isipan (He was nominated, so he needs to think about it),” Roque said.
One of the convenors of the opposition coalition 1Sambayan called the Duterte-Duterte tandem a “joke of the worst kind.”
“The alleged VP run of the President not only makes a mockery of the Constitution but a joke of the worst kind. It is laughable and the height of impertinence to the Filipino people,” said lawyer Howard Calleja.
“I am sure the Filipino people would see this as a macrocosm of the Davao formula and reject it as nothing more than one’s self interest to maintain Duterte’s authoritarian brand of failed leadership and traitorous allegiance to China,” he added, referring to the fact that Davao City has been governed by a Duterte since 1986.
Duterte’s son Sebastian is Davao City vice mayor while another son, Paolo, is a congressman.
PDP-Laban executive director Ronwald Munsayac, in a radio interview, said Pacquiao wants to meet with Duterte to clarify how the party’s national assemblies will be called in the future. He will also ask the President about the resolution.
He said Malacañang has not replied to the request. He did not say how the request was relayed to Malacañang.
Munsayac said what happened last Monday was a minor misunderstanding within the party.
”May konting misunderstanding lang po talaga. Kaya sa ngayon po, ang ating party president Manny Pacquiao ay nag-request ng meeting with party chairman, President Duterte, so that we can follow the proper process (This is just a small simple misunderstanding that’s why our party president Manny Pacquiao requested for a meeting with party chairman, President Duterte, so that we can follow the proper process),” Munsayac told radio dzBB.
He said the rift could have been avoided if only the camp of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who is PDP-Laban vice chairman, had discussed holding the national meeting with Pacquiao.
Malacañang earlier said Cusi called the meeting on Duterte’s order.
Munsayac said if the authority to convene the national assembly was indeed delegated, Cusi should have discussed with them the agenda so there will be no surprises.
Cracks in the ruling party started to show after Cusi called for the meeting. But Pacquiao issued a memorandum telling party members to ignore Cusi’s invitation, saying such move was in violation of the party’s constitution as national assemblies should only be called by the party’s president or chairman.
On the resolution, Munsayac said in an online interview that if the President intends to run as vice president, “the whole of PDP-Laban will be supportive of him.”
Munsayac said Cusi is “more than welcome” to join the meeting between Pacquiao and Duterte.
The rift within the party was observed after some party members condemned Pacquiao for issuing a statement criticizing Duterte’s stance on the country’s dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea in the South China Sea.
Pacquiao said Duterte should have been consistent in being “tough” on his stance on the WPS issue which was loved by the voters which catapulted him to the presidency. — With Jocelyn Montemayor and Ashzel Hachero
