President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Manny Pacquiao. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Manny Pacquiao will ask President Rodrigo Duterte if he really intends to run for vice president in the 2022 elections in a meeting requested by the lawmaker in a bid to “iron out” the “simple misunderstanding” within the ruling PDP-Laban Party, an official said Tuesday.
“Dun po sa meeting na ‘yon, tatanungin na lang po siguro ni party president Pacquiao kay chairman Digong na ‘Boss, talaga bang gusto niyong tumakbo as vice president?’” PDP-Laban executive director Ron Munsayac told reporters in an online interview.
“Kasi po kung talaga tatakbo, kung talaga pong gusto ni PRRD tumakbo, the whole of PDP-Laban will be supportive of him, kung talagang gusto po ni pangulo,” he added.
Asked if Pacquiao would also ask Duterte to choose him as the party’s standard-bearer and running mate, Munsayac said the boxer-turned-politician has yet to make a final decision.
At least two of Pacquiao’s colleagues in the Senate previously said that the former is interested in joining the presidential race in 2022. Pacquiao, however, has yet to confirm nor deny this.
On Monday, PDP-Laban adopted a resolution seeking to “convince” Duterte to run for the vice-presidential post in the 2022 elections. Under that resolution, Duterte is also urged to choose his running mate.
The resolution was adopted during a national council meeting held in Cebu City. But the meeting, called by party vice-chairman Energy Sec. Alfonso Cusi, was opposed by Pacquiao for supposedly not following the right process.
Malacañang, however, said it was Duterte himself who directed Cusi to convene the national assembly.
But Munsayac maintained the party president, in this case, Pacquiao, should have been consulted about the agenda of the meeting.
Nevertheless, Munsayac said Cusi is “more than welcome” to join Pacquiao’s requested meeting with Duterte.
“We’d like to believe na simple misunderstanding lang talaga ito and maaayos lang talaga ito when our top leadership sits down,” Munsayac said.
“The vice-chairman is more than welcome to join the meeting since delegated naman po sa kanya yung authority, he’s more than welcome to join the meeting,” he added.