Pimentel: Cusi wing’s push for Duterte’s Senate bid shows ‘desperation’

For Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, the PDP-Laban faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi’s push for President Rodrigo Duterte’s 2022 senatorial bid only shows desperation.

Pimentel, who leads the other PDP-Laban faction with presidential aspirant and Senator Manny Pacquiao, said the Cusi wing is “riding on and totally dependent” on Duterte’s popularity.

“Shows desperation on the part of Cusi and his group. They give impression that they do not have strong candidates within their group and that they are all simply riding on and are totally dependent on the popularity and strength of personality of the incumbent president,” he said in a text message to reporters.

“That for us is ‘personality politics’ which we want to see ended here in [Philippines] as soon as possible,” he added.

Pimentel then called for “issues-based” politics in the country.

“We should all aspire for issues-based politics. The good future of our country is better assured by a program of government approved by the people through their votes than by blind loyalty to a mortal person with the expectation of a return favor,” he said.

GMA News Online has sought Cusi’s side on Pimentel’s statement, but he refused to comment on the matter.

Melvin Matibag,  secretary-general of PDP-Laban Cusi wing, said Pimentel "must be referring to himself when he made that statement."

"Personality politics is advising Senator Manny Pacquiao to run for president just because he is popular even though the latter is a non-performer in the Senate and leads all senators in most absences,” Matibag said.

“The idea of President Rodrigo Duterte running for senator is an offshoot to what some senators are doing now abusing the oversight powers of the Senate in aid of re-election instead of crafting laws to uplift the lives of the ordinary Filipinos,” he added.

On Wednesday, Cusi confirmed there are efforts by the ruling party to convince Duterte to run for senator in the coming 2022 elections.

He said having Duterte at the Senate would certainly push for PDP-Laban's reforms in the legislature.

Cusi added that Duterte could also be the campaign managers of their standard bearer, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and his running-mate, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go.

He believed that Duterte would boost the Dela Rosa-Go tandem as the President enjoys a high approval rating. — RSJ/VBL, GMA News