Pimentel: Pacquiao and I can turn our backs on politics anytime

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and his father former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. Extreme left is Senator Manny Pacquiao. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Like neophyte Senator Manny Pacquiao, Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said he can also turn his back on politics anytime.

Pimentel, president of the ruling PDP-Laban, said he also had his share of disappointments, citing as example some politicians who had joined their party without believing its programs and ideologies.

“Pareho kami ni Manny (Manny and I are the same), anytime we can turn our back to politics,” he said when asked about Pacquiao’s admission that resigning from politics had already crossed his mind.

Asked what was frustrating for him in politics, Pimentel said: “Nagsali-sali sa partido, hindi naman naniniwala sa party ideology; o hindi ba frustrating ‘yun? Dapat sumasali sa party dahil naniwala sa program, sa ideology ng party, hindi dahil sa amin ang Presidente. Hindi dapat ganun.”

(When they join the party but they don’t believe in the party ideology; isn’t that frustrating? You should join the party because you believe in the program, in the ideology of the party, not just because of the President. It shouldn’t be that way.)

President Rodrigo Duterte is chairman of PDP-Laban.

Pimentel said they would nevertheless use the opportunity to “inculcate into the new members the programs and beliefs” of party.

“And kung ma-convert sila, then well and good. Gaganda ang pulitika sa ating bansa kasi based on party programs na, hindi na on personality,” he added.

(And when they convert, then it’s well and good. The politics of our country will improve because it would be based on party programs and not on personality.) /je