Koko to Sara: I never dragged an outsider into PDP-Laban's internal dispute

Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel on Wednesday clarified that he never dragged anyone outside the PDP-Laban when it comes to the issues of the party.

Pimentel was reacting to the statement of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, calling him and PDP-Laban executive director Ron Munsayac to stop blaming her for the "sad state" of the ruling party.

“It is not my fault that no one among you is a leader worthy of the respect of the majority. Do not blame me for the sitcom that your party has been reduced to,” Sara said.

“I am not a ‘last two minutes’ person. I think, I organize, and I implement accordingly. In the meantime, I refuse to be a political punching bag for a party in complete disarray,” she added.

But Pimentel said he had no idea why he was “starring” in a portion of Sara’s statement, adding that he has been addressing all his comments on issues to party president Alfonso Cusi and to secretary general Melvin Matibag.

“This is an ‘internal’ dispute. I never dragged an outsider into our internal dispute or blamed an outsider for the internal dispute or for causing the internal dispute. Our internal dispute has been caused by someone from the inside,” Pimentel said.

“That an outsider is being considered as the presidential candidate by an insider is not the fault of the person being mentioned but the fault of the insider who lacks faith, confidence and loyalty to his party and the talent and skills of the party member,” he added.

There has been an ongoing feud within the PDP-Laban, which resulted in having two factions, the camp of Pimentel, which has been supportive of former party president and Senator Manny Pacquiao, and of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, now president of the ruling party.

Pacquiao and Cusi have been asserting power over PDP-Laban after the Energy secretary organized party meetings and assemblies without Pacquiao and Pimentel’s permission. — RSJ, GMA News