Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao during a hybrid plenary session, Wednesday, June 2, 2021. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — There are enough grounds for the PDP-Laban party to penalize Senator Manny Pacquiao over his criticisms of President Rodrigo Duterte, a party official said Wednesday.
“Kung susundin yung batas namin, may enough reason, enough grounds to penalize si Senator Pacquiao. ‘Di naman po sinabing tatanggalin,” expelled PDP-Laban acting Secretary-General Melvin Matibag told reporters in an online interview.
(If we follow our by-laws, there is enough reason, enough grounds to penalize Senator Manny Pacquiao. This doesn’t mean that we will expel him.)
“Ang penalty po ng partido, nagre-range from censure, reprimand, suspension, and expulsion,” he added.
(The penalties within the party range from censure, reprimand, suspension, and expulsion.)
Pacquiao and Duterte, who are known allies, have recently been at odds with each another after the senator criticized the administration’s “lacking” stance on the country’s maritime dispute with China and flagged corruption within the government.
Pacquiao serves as the party’s president while Duterte is PDP-Laban’s chairman.
Pacquiao had earlier clarified that he is not trying to attack the President after criticizing government corruption under the current administration. The senator said he is helping the Chief Executive crackdown on corrupt officials.
Matibag confirmed that there was a complaint filed by the party’s Bulacan chapter regarding Pacquiao’s recent remarks against the administration.
While the committee handling the complaint has yet to decide on the matter, Matibag said the senator’s recent criticisms “can be interpreted as disloyalty to the party.”
“Because that is a direct attack to your party. Not necessarily a personal comment against the President of the Republic but a comment directed to attack, humiliate party mates of PDP-Laban,” he added.
‘Pinalaki’
In an online forum earlier in the day, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, executive vice chairman of PDP-Laban, said no sanctions can be imposed on Pacquiao since the party respects each members’ right to free speech.
“Yung theory nila, nag-criticize daw si Senator Pacquiao. Nire-recognize namin yung right to free speech ng aming party member. Democracy-based kami. Kung tingnan mo, pinalaki yung issue,” Pimentel, who wrote the party’s by-laws, said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.
(Their theory is that Senator Pacquiao made some criticisms. We recognize the right to free speech of each party member. We are democracy-based.)
Pimentel also said Pacquiao’s criticisms were turned into a big issue by the other faction.
“Kung tingnan mo, pinalaki yung issue…Si President (Duterte) yata mismo pwede mong kunan ng sound byte, sinabi niya mismo na meron pa ring corruption. The same message stated by another person is all of a sudden a big deal, but not when stated by another person. Why?” he said.
(If you look at it, it was made into a big issue…Even the President himself, you can get a sound byte out of him saying there’s still corruption. The same message stated by another person is all of a sudden a big deal, but not when stated by another person. Why?)
“Why is it a big deal. Because they need this issue within the party kasi meron silang gustong gawin sa partido [it’s because they want to do something with the party],” he added.
Pimentel earlier said that the other faction wants to endorse an “outsider” to be the party’s standard-bearer in 2022.
But Matibag denied this, saying that what they are pushing for is for Duterte’s vice-presidential run in the coming elections.