Pimentel: PDP-Laban to endorse any presidential bet except Binay

If Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte decides not to run as president in the 2016 elections, PDP-Laban will endorse another candidate but not presidential survey frontrunner Vice President Jejomar Binay.

During the sidelines of the weekly Kapihan sa Diamond Hotel forum on Monday, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said that they would not endorse Binay due to the corruption allegations he is facing.

“If ever hindi tumakbo si Mayor Duterte, the party will look for other candidates to endorse but definitely Vice President Binay will not be in that list (because of corruption allegations),” Pimentel told reporters.

But on supporting potential candidates, Pimentel said they would not be dictated by a person’s popularity or chances to win.

“Kung maghahanap pa kami ng taong gusto naming suportahan as president (it should be) on the basis of shared beliefs. Dapat shared beliefs. Hindi dapat dahil sa winnable siya or maganda siya,” the senator emphasized.

(If we will support a candidate for president, it should be on the basis of shared beliefs. It should always be on the basis of shared beliefs and not because he/she is winnable or is beautiful.)

Meanwhile, aside from endorsing a presidential bet, Pimentel also emphasized the duties of a political party.

“I believe that the duties and functions of a political party is to participate in the elections, to educate the people about the issues which are important to the elections and to support candidates on the basis of a shared political philosophy,” he said.

Binay was a long-time member of PDP-Laban before he left in 2014 citing disunity in the party leadership.

Shortly after Binay’s departure, PDP-Laban defected from United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), the opposition coalition formed during the 2013 elections by Binay, Manila City Mayor and former President Joseph Estrada and detained Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.

Pimentel, who is the president of PDP-Laban, is the head of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee which investigates the corruption allegations being hurled against Binay and his cohorts. The said subcommittee has convened 21 hearings so far.

Binay has assailed the Senate investigation as a demolition job against his presidential bid. AU

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