Koko to let go of party position, but not if Garcia grabs the post

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said Friday he is willing to give up his position as president of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, but not if Rogelio Garcia, who was elected to lead by a party faction, insists on grabbing the post.

“Hindi naman ako kapit tuko sa position at titulo. Pero bakit ba siya ang kakain sa tinanim, inani, niluto, at hinanda namin? Bakit siya?” Pimentel said in a text message when asked if he will fight for his post.

He said he will readily give way to someone who helped the party grow in numbers.

“Kung ang kakain ay kasama naming naghirap sa pagpapalaki ng partido ay wala tayong masasabi d’yan. ‘Wag naman ‘yung short cut at jackpot agad. Magbanat din po ng buto,” he added.

Garcia, a long-time party member and a classmate of President Rodrigo Duterte, has been questioning the mass oath-takings of new PDP-Laban party members, saying the new recruits supposedly did not undergo basic membership seminar.

Garcia's faction held an assembly in Quezon City recently where they elected new officers but Pimentel downplayed the gathering saying many of the attendees were expelled members.

Asked if President Duterte, PDP-Laban chairman, scolded Garcia, Pimentel said he does not know as they were met separately.

“No personal knowledge kasi hindi naman kami magkasamang kausap,” he said.

The President met Pimentel and Garcia’s faction Thursday night

He said that during the meeting, Duterte affirmed that PDP-Laban is his party and that he is duty-bound to campaign for its candidates.

“He requires only two qualifications of PDP-Laban's candidates: competence and honesty,” he said.

He said another more formal meeting is scheduled on September 1. —LBG, GMA News