Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III on Saturday said the standard-bearer of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) must come from within the party and blamed factionalism as the cause of the apparent fragmentation in the ruling party.
Pimentel admitted that the rift was caused by the faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, whom Malacañang admitted was acting at the behest of President Duterte, which was pushing for a presidential candidate who was not even a party member.
“The biggest issue is why the other side has nominated someone from outside the party. What is important is that the party’s nominee must come from within the party, who has a reasonable chance of winning,” he said.
He was referring to the President’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, chair of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) alliance.
“What is prohibited [under party rules] is for an outsider to be nominated, especially if we have a homegrown candidate [within the party],” Pimentel added.
Pimentel made the statement a day after the PDP-Laban National Executive Council expelled Cusi, its vice chair, and party officials Melvin Matibag and Astra Naik for acts supposedly inimical to the party’s interest.
He said Cusi’s group had been pushing for the party nomination of Mayor Duterte, even if she has previously rejected invitations to join PDP-Laban in order to be up for contention as its presidential candidate for 2022.
The Cusi group, he said, has also been demonizing Sen. Manny Pacquiao, the new party president, who is being groomed for higher office, “whether President, Vice President or senator.”
He deplored the opacity of the Cusi faction and the secrecy the faction employs in formulating party policies, which should involve party members.
‘Lay down cards’
“The main problem is that the other side has not been laying down their cards,” Pimentel said. “What does the other side have as their proposal? Who shall be the other choice? There should not be secrecy within the party, and issues should not be brought to the media.”
“Second, party members must also feel some pride over their nominee, who must have a good record; and third, he or she should not be someone who, out of the blue, gets picked because of his or her chances of winning,” he said.
But with or without the PDP-Laban, the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) on Saturday vowed to support Duterte-Carpio if she decides to run for President.
Lakas-CMD support
The party, which renewed its alliance with Duterte-Carpio’s HNP, welcomed the younger Duterte’s openness to the idea of running for President next year, said House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, the Lakas-CMD president.
“If Mayor Sara finally decides to run for President in 2022, we will support her. We will mobilize the entire machinery of Lakas-CMD—from the national level down to governors, congressmen, mayors and councilors—to ensure her victory,” he said on Saturday.
He added: “The Lakas-CMD was the first political party to signify intention to renew an alliance with Mayor Sara’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago. This alliance binds our party to support whoever is chosen by HNP as their candidates for President and Vice President.”