No schedule yet, but Palace sees no hindrance for a Duterte-Pacquiao meeting

Malacañang is seeing no reason why a meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Manny Pacquiao can't push through amid the internal issues hounding the ruling PDP-Laban party.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said he sees no hindrance for the meeting though it has yet to be scheduled.

"Wala pang schedule, pero wala akong nakikitang hadlang [There is no schedule for the meeting yet, but I see no hurdle to that]," Roque said.

Roque said Duterte and Pacquiao, chairman and acting president of PDP-Laban, respectively, remain allies and should be able to engage in a meeting.

"There has been no change.  He (Pacquiao) remains to be the party president," he said.

Earlier in the day, PDP-Laban executive director Ron Munsayac said Pacquiao is seeking a meeting with Duterte to discuss the "simple misunderstanding" within the party.

In a May 25 memorandum, Pacquiao called on PDP-Laban members to ignore the May 31 party meeting led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi. Still, the meeting pushed through in Cebu with Duterte's blessing.

Roque said the May 31 meeting -- where a resolution endorsing a vice presidential run for Duterte for 2022 was adopted by party members -- did not violate PDP-Laban's rules. 

"It is provided under the constitution of the party that the chairperson has the authority to call for such meeting," Roque said.

Duterte, however, did not attend the May 31 meeting because of a full schedule. His message urging party members to unite was delivered via a pre-recorded video.  —KBK, GMA News