ADVERTISEMENT
Pimentel: Cusi’s group hid their Eleksyon 2022 bets from PDP-Laban officers
By HANA BORDEY,GMA NewsThe PDP-Laban split into two factions when expelled party Vice-Chairman and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and his group hid their Eleksyon 2022 bets from ruling party officials, Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said Saturday.
In a radio interview, Pimentel said Cusi’s faction was alarmed when PDP-Laban President and Senator Manny Pacquiao was being groomed to run for a national post in the May 2022 elections.
“Ang problema, ‘di kasi nakalabas ang baraha ng kabila. Ang kampo ni Senator Pacquiao ginu-groom siya for national elections,” Pimentel said.
(The problem is they are not honest with their bets. The camp of Senator Pacquiao is already grooming him for the national elections.)
He noted that Pacquiao can run for a president, vice president, and even another term in the Senate in the next elections.
“Mayroon sa loob ng partido, bigla sila naalarma nang maging party president si Senator Pacquiao. ‘Di naman nila masabi ano ang dahilan. Bakit? ‘Kasi may manok kami for president.’ ‘Di naman nila masabi ‘yun,” Pimentel explained further.
(They were alarmed when Senator Pacquiao became the party president. But they are not explaining why they are alarmed? Why? Because they have their own bet for president.)
“Kaya ang gulo at hindi klaro kasi ano ba? May manok ba kayo for president sa loob ng partido o may manok kayo for president sa labas ng partido? Hindi masabi. Maso-solve talaga ito kung sa loob ng partido ilalabas niyo ang baraha niyo di ‘yung nakatago at napakahirap n’yo intindihin. Ganu’n ang nangyayari,” he added.
(That’s where the disagreement stemmed from. It is not clear whether they have their own bet inside the party or from other parties. This will be solved if they will be forthright instead of hiding it from us.)
In June, Pimentel hinted at Cusi’s “secret agenda,”
ADVERTISEMENT
Nevertheless, Pimentel expressed hope that his personal ties with Cusi and expelled PDP-Laban secretary-general Atty. Melvin Matibag won’t be affected by politics.
He made the statement a day after Pacquiao and the PDP-Laban National Executive Committee (NEC) expelled Cusi, Matibag, and membership committee head Astra Naik out of the ruling party over their alleged violations of the party constitution.
“Nakakalungkot na political time na tapos ang headline pa ay partido na itinayo ng tatay ko, Tatay Nene Pimentel. Pero nu’ng nag-research ako sa ibang bansa meron din naman ganyan [division],” Pimentel said.
(It is saddening that the headlines are about the rift of members of the party that was founded by my father, Tatay Nene Pimentel. But based on my research, this also happens to other parties in other countries.)
“Importante siguro rito ang aming personal relationships kasi kumpare ko yan si Sec. Cusi, inaanak ko sa kasal si Melvin. Sana ang aming personal relationship ‘di masira dahil lang sa pulitika. Ang disagreement sa pulitika lalo na sa loob ng partido ay nangyayari po yan kahit ‘di sa Pilipinas,” he added.
(What is important is our personal relationships because I have personal ties with Sec. Cusi and I was also a principal sponsor in Melvin’s wedding. So, I hope our personal relationship will not be destroyed just because of politics. The disagreements in politics, especially within parties, are normal even in other countries.)
Pacquiao and Cusi have been asserting authority over the PDP-Laban after the Energy Secretary organized party meetings and assemblies without Pacquiao and Pimentel’s permission.
Malacañang, however, said Cusi had the blessing of the party chairman—President Rodrigo Duterte — to organize these gatherings.
Cusi earlier claimed that the rift between them started when they were not informed about the PDP-Laban’s change of leadership when Pacquiao became party president. — DVM, GMA News