Pacquiao turns tables on Cusi: Follow PDP-Laban bylaws or leave the party

PDP-Laban acting president and Senator Manny Pacquiao on Thursday warned his partymates, specifically Energy Secretary and party vice chairman Alfonso Cusi, to follow their rules and bylaws or else leave.

“From now on gusto, ko ipaalam sa kanila na not in my time as president of the party, gusto ko sila turuan ng leksyon. I’m the president of the party and you must follow the rules and the bylaws of the party. Kung ayaw mo, e di lumipat ka sa ibang party,” Pacquiao said in a radio interview.

(I want to give them a lesson. I'm the president of the party and you must follow the rules and bylaws of the party. If you don't want to follow then might as well leave the party.)

“Hangga’t ako ang presidente ng partido na ito, Cusi, this is a warning to you, sumunod kayo sa protocols. Gusto ko ipakita sa inyo ang tamang pamamalakad ng partido,” he said.

(As long as I am the president of this paty, Cusi, this is a warning to you, you should follow the protocols. I wanted to show you how to properly run the party.)

Pacquiao pointed out that even former PDP-Laban president and now executive vice chairman Senator Aquililo “Koko” Pimentel III  supports him and his advocacy for the party.

Pimentel's father, the late former Senate president Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr., founded Partido Demokratiko Pilipino, which later merged with Lakas ng Bayan (Laban) formed by the late senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr.

Pacquiao also opposed Cusi’s claim that their partymates should only follow President Rodrigo Duterte because he was the reason politicians joined the party.

Cusi in a previous interview said PDP-Laban “is President Duterte’s party.”

“Parang lasing yata siya nung sinabi niya ‘yon. Ginagawa niyang trapo na partido. Ginagawa niyang tulad ng ibang partido (ang PDP-Laban)," the senator said.

(He might be drunk when he said that. He wants to make this party like any other parties in the country.)

Apart from that, Pacquiao claimed that he has more than 10,000 PDP-Laban members in the grassroots backing him as the party president.

He said the signatures of these 10,000 PDP-Laban members can even increase to 50,000 or half of the total PDP-Laban members.

Sought for comment, Cusi said it is best that Pacquiao discuss the matter within the party leadership.

"Also I suggest that he attends the national council & assembly meetings to resolve all the accusations. I can assure you that what we are doing conforms with the constitution & by laws of the party.  It's not my personal action. It's a party decision and it undergoes a process. Wala kami dapat pag-awayan (We have nothing to argue)," he said in a message to GMA News Online.

On Tuesday, Cusi told Pacquiao to leave the ruling party first before launching criticism against Duterte—the party chairman.

Moreover, Cusi denied that they plan to oust Pacquiao as PDP-Laban president in the upcoming PDP-Laban national assembly on July 17.

But he said it is up to the members of the party to hold an election and decide whether Pacquiao will stay as their president or not.

Pimentel and Pacquiao earlier said that they will not attend the July 17 assembly as they consider this as an “unauthorized” party gathering.—AOL, GMA News