President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo from an RTVM video posted on Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte said Saturday the now ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) party was “asleep for a hundred years” and only woke up when he ran for the presidency in 2016.
Duterte had this to say as a “reminder” to Senator Koko Pimentel, the son of party co-founder Nene Pimentel, amid the party infighting—that eventually led to the ouster of Senator Manny Pacquiao as party president.
“Si Koko, may I just remind Koko, na itong party na PDP was asleep for a hundred years, it only woke up during the elections when I ran for the presidency under their ticket,” Duterte said during the national assembly of the party, which the President chairs.
“It was a father and son party, period. Wala ng iba. And they are not even recognized in Cagayan de Oro City, totoo yan. I’m not trying to throw insult, but yan ang totoo talaga. They cannot win, masks barangay captain, talo yan sa kanila,” he added.
Duterte hit Pimentel over the latter’s decision to elect Pacquiao as acting president of the party back in December 2020, saying “that is not how things are done.”
“By that singular act of designating an acting president, there is no law in the bylaws at tsaka itong Constitution which would provide for an acting president solely upon the push of the [party] president,” Duterte said.
“Ang nagkamali dyan si Koko, hindi Pacquaio. Pacquiao doesn’t know anything. Totoo, kung anumang sabihin, hindi naman nagbabasa yan e. Basta kung anong sabihin ng mga ano nya, sunod,” he added.
During the assembly, Pacquiao was replaced by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi as party president.
It was held as what appears to be two factions—one with Pacquiao and Pimentel, and the other with Cusi—continue to clash.
Pacquiao and Pimentel have previously said the assembly was “unauthorized.”