Cusi open to participate in Duterte-Pacquiao meeting

Despite an apparent rift with Senator Manny Pacquiao, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi is open to participate in the planned meeting between the lawmaker and President Rodrigo Duterte to discuss issues hounding the ruling PDP-Laban party.

“Kung iimbitahin po, bakit hindi po… basta ako po ay inimbita (If I will be invited, why not… as long as I get an invitation),” Cusi said during the virtual Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, PDP-Laban executive director Ron Munsayac said Pacquiao is seeking a meeting with Duterte to discuss the "simple misunderstanding" within the party.

Malacañang, meanwhile, said there is no schedule for the meeting yet, but is seeing no reason why a meeting between Duterte and Pacquiao can't push through.

The rift between Pacquiao and Cusi gained attention in March after a resolution, urging the President—who sits as PDP-Laban chairman—to run for vice president in 2022, circulated.

Pacquiao said the move of some PDP-Laban members is not sanctioned by the party's leadership.

The tension within the ruling party further intensified after the senator called on PDP-Laban members to ignore the May 31 meeting led by Cusi as it violates the party’s Constitution.

Still, the meeting pushed through in Cebu with Duterte's blessing. The national council also adopted a resolution urging the President to seek the vice presidency.

Cusi maintained that the recently held meeting did not violate PDP-Laban’s rules as “we have shown them we have proper authority and proper notices were given.”

Over the weekend, presidential spokesman Harry Roque bared that it was Duterte who ordered Cusi to preside and organize the meeting.—AOL, GMA News