Pacquiao insists PDP-Laban nat’l assembly in Clark unauthorized; attendees may be sanctioned

PDP-Laban president and Senator Manny Pacquiao on Friday maintained that the national council meeting and the national assembly scheduled today and Saturday, respectively, in Clark, Pampanga are unauthorized.

Members of the party, including President Rodrigo Duterte, may face sanctions once it is found that they violated PDP-Laban constitution by attending the said gatherings, he warned.

“‘Di namin nire-recognize ‘yan dahil walang proper coordination especially sa akin at sa mga members ng national council,” Pacquiao said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(We don’t recognize that because it was not coordinated with me and the members of the national council.)

“Definitely [there are sanctions]. Kailangan masunod 'yung bylaws, rules ng partido, constitution ng partido. Kailangan ang ideolohiya ng partido masunod,” he responded when asked if there are sanctions against party members who will attend the event.

(Definitely. We need to follow the bylaws, rules, and the constitution of the party.)

Including Duterte?

Pacquiao said the sanction will range from suspension to expulsion and this will not exempt even high-ranking officials of the party.

“Kung may grounds, lahat ng members, kahit akong presidente, kung may ground na puwede ako tanggalin, tatanggalin,” he said when asked if Duterte may  face sanctions for attending the assembly.

(If there are grounds, all members, even I, the president of the party, will be expelled.)

Duterte sits as party chairman while Pacquiao is acting president.

“Pero kung tanggalin ako para sa mga vested interest, mga self-interest ng iba, I have [the] majority of support of PDP National [members],” Pacquiao said.

(But if they will just expel me because of their vested interest, then I will assert my authority because I have the support of the majority of PDP National members.)

The lawmaker expressed confidence anew that he has the backing of the majority of the grassroots members of the party.

He mentioned that there are around 15,000 grassroot members who have signed a manifesto of support to his leadership in PDP-Laban.

“In fact, we have the support, may signatures na kaming nakuha, binigay ng members ng partido. These are 15,000 signatures may mga pangalan at mga number na anytime puwede silang i-confirm kung nagpirma ba sila o hindi,” he said.

(These are 15,000 signatures with names and number. We can confirm their signatures anytime.)

“‘Yung iba naman diyang ina-announce ni [Energy Sec. Alfonso] Cusi, ‘yung iba dyan ‘di active, di puwedeng bumoto, according to the constitution ng partido,” Pacquiao argued.

(Some of the members who were announced by Cusi are not active and they are not allowed to vote, according to the constitution of the party.)

Cusi, vice chair of the party, will lead the national assembly and national council meeting scheduled today and tomorrow in Clark, Pampanga.

Duterte, the chairman of the party, is expected to preside over the national assembly tomorrow.

While Duterte is apparently siding with Cusi’s faction, Pacquiao said the PDP-Laban will stick with the family of its founder— late former Senate President Nene Pimentel.

He reiterated that the other PDP-Laban faction should create another political party instead of breaking the ruling party in two.

“We’ll stick to the founder of the party which is the  Pimentel family. Nag-announce naman na nagsabi na kung gusto nila bikain ang partido huwag. Bumuo sila ng ibang partido ‘wag lang ang PDP,” he said.

(They already told them not to break the party and just create a new one instead.)

‘Jeepney’

Pacquiao also hit back at presidential spokesperson Harry Roque over his “jeepney” remark, asserting that PDP-Laban has more than 100,000 grassroot members.

“‘Yung sinasabi nila na isang jeepney lang ang member ng partido, mali po ‘yon ang member po ng PDP po  mahigit 100,000. May data po tayo d’yan,” he said.

(Their remarks on PDP-Laban members, saying we can fit into one jeepney, that is not true because we have more than 100,000 members and we have data on that.)

He also pointed out that PDP-Laban is not only composed of high-ranking officials.

“Ang PDP hindi hindi lang iilang miyembro kung hindi mas marami sa grassroots area. ‘Yung mga officers natin sa grassroots area, kahit sabihin na tricycle driver o jeepney driver ‘yon, ‘yan ang PDP. Nabuhay ang PDP because of them,” he said.

(The PDP-Laban is not composed of just a few members because we have a lot of members from the grassroots area. The party has survived because of these jeepney and tricycle drivers who are members of the party.)

“‘Yan ang PDP hindi ito partido ng mga mayayaman o may power na pulitiko kundi ang karamihan dito mga mamamayan,” he added.

(That is PDP. This is not a party of the rich and powerful but of the masses.)

Fight vs. Spence

Moreover, Pacquiao said politics does not affect his preparations for his upcoming fight against American-boxer Errol Spence.

“Naka-focus naman ako dito. I’m sure of what they want to do. [They] try to distract me. Try to distract my focus on my fight. Para ma-distract ako, matalo ako,” he said.

(I am focused on my preparations. I know what they wanted to do. They try to distract me so that I’ll lose.)

“Hindi naman tayo pinanganak kahapon lang. ‘Di naman tayo natutulog sa pansitan,” he added.

(I was not born yesterday and I do not slack in my preparations for my fight.)

Pacquiao is currently in America to prepare for his fight in August. — RSJ/KBK, GMA News