AN obviously pissed off presidential aspirant took a swipe at one of the administration party’s officials over a supposed party resolution urging President Rodrigo Duterte to run for Vice President in time for next year’s Palace derby.
In a press conference, PDP-Laban president and concurrent Senator Manny Pacquiao told Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi not to “poison” the minds of their party members as politics should not be their priority right now. Cusi is the Vice chairman of the ruling party.
Clarifying the circulating resolution of some party members, urging President Rodrigo Duterte to run as vice president in 2022, Pacquiao bluntly urged Cusi to instead help the public and refrain from discussing politics.
He went further by telling the Energy Secretary to stop causing division among PDP-Laban members.
“‘Yung salita mo, panindigan mo… Huwag mong kainin ‘yung salita na sabi mo huwag muna pulitika, tulong muna sa tao. ‘Yan ang ano ko eh, huwag mo dinidivide ‘yung isipan ng mga miyembro ng partido para gamitin mo sa sarili mo,” Pacquiao said.
“Unless kung umikot ka para magbigay ng tulong sa mga kababayan, palakpakan kita, matutuwa ko. Pero kung umiikot ka, pulitika ang pinaguusapan mo, huwag mong ganyanin… huwag mong lasunin ang utak ng miyembro ng partido para magkahiwa-hiwalay,” added Pacquiao who clarified that what he had just said should not be seen as picking a fight, but as a warning to him.
“Hindi ako ‘yung tao na puwede mo lang laru-laruin. Warning lang ‘to, hindi ako nakikipag-away sayo. Gusto ko makipagkaibigan sayo,” an angry Pacquiao further averred.
On Thursday, fellow Senator Bong Go said that he would consider running for President next year but only if Duterte would agree on becoming his running mate. In the event that the President agrees to be the Vice-Presidential bet of the party, Pacquiao is likely to be eased out of the presidential derby.