Koko: ‘Possible’ PDP-Laban, Sara Duterte party faceoff in 2019 polls

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel on Monday said it is “theoretically possible” that candidates of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and the new local political party formed by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio would clash in the 2019 midterm elections.

But Pimentel said it remains uncertain until the filing of candidacy happens in October this year.

“Ang challenge kasi ngayon sa PDP-Laban is to field candidates all over the country, ‘yun po aming binabalak… Theoretically possible pero wala pa kasi filing kaya ‘di namin alam eh,” he said.

(The challenge now in the PDP-Laban is to field candidates all over the country, that’s what we’re planning… It’s theoretically possible but there’s no filing of candidacy so we don’t know yet.)

The Senate President, who is also the PDP-Laban president, pointed out that under their rules, their members are allowed to join other local political parties as well has party lists.

“It should not have any effect kasi ang interpretation namin sa aming (because according to our interpretation of our) party constitution, members of PDP-Laban can be a member of a local party and even of a party list,” he said.

Earlier, Sara forged Hugpong ng Pagbabago (Alliance for Change) with governors of Region 11 which she said had the approval of President Rodrigo Duterte.

READ: Sara launches own party

In a series of social media posts last Thursday, Sara blasted House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez for allegedly calling her an “opposition”– a statement which Alvarez has denied. /je