Pacquiao May Adopt Sotto If Atienza Backs Out

Vice presidential bet Senate President Vicente Sotto III could be adopted by presidential candidate Sen. Manny Pacquiao if his running mate House Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza, who is still recovering from knee surgery, decides to quit the race.

Pacquiao, Probinsiya Muna Development Initiative’s (Promdi) presidential candidate, is not discounting the possibility of a Manny-Sotto alliance dubbed “MaSo.”

The senator, however, pointed out that this scenario is still far-fetched because he remains optimistic that Atienza will recover soon and can go back on the campaign trail.

“We don’t have a problem with Congressman Lito Atienza, and my tandem said that if he chooses someone, in case he can’t, he wants Sotto to be brought in as VP,” Pacquiao said in a media briefing at the Spring Palace Restaurant shortly after attending a Christian fellowship at the Great Vision Church in Mandurriao, Iloilo City on Wednesday, March 30.

Sotto said he is humbled and appreciated Pacquiao’s and Atienza’s statements.

“I am humbled and will certainly appreciate such a move,” Sotto said, describing Atienza as “a true statesman.”

Even before the onset of the election period, Atienza, who is Buhay party-list representative, has expressed his preference for Sotto, who is running as vice president with independent Sen. Panfilo Lacson, according to Pacquiao.

The world boxing champ, however, clarified that this scenario will only happen if Atienza decides to give way to Sotto and stressed that he would not waiver in his support for the three-term former Manila mayor and will remain as his vice presidential candidate despite his present medical condition.

Pacquiao is on a two-day campaign in Iloilo City where he is focused on courting the support of various Christian groups and the poor and marginalized communities.

From Iloilo City, Pacquiao is scheduled to have his sorties in Bacolod tomorrow and Dumaguete on Saturday, April 2.

Besides, Pacquiao said this has not been discussed by the parties involved. He admitted that he was supposed to meet with Sotto last Monday, March 28, but this was temporarily set aside because of his meeting with Space X senior managers.

“Just watch out for the next chapters when we’ve talked. We haven’t talked yet, so I said watch out,” Pacquiao said, hinting at future meetings with Sotto and Atienza.

Atienza has been skipping Pacquiao’s sorties as well as debates due to his leg problems caused by a fall earlier this year.

‘Resign from PDP-Laban’

Meanwhile, Pacquiao said at the very least, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi should have some sense of decency by stepping down from the ruling PDP-Laban, the party formed precisely to stop the abuses of the martial law regime of the late former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

Pacquiao made the call following the endorsement made by the Cusi faction, whose group includes President Duterte, of former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“I just want to say something to all PDP-Laban members: I think you should be ashamed of yourselves. This party was formed precisely against the Marcos administration. If they want, they should resign from PDP-Laban,” Pacquiao told “The Chiefs” on One News last Tuesday night, March 29.

Without naming names, but obviously referring to the Cusi camp, the presidential aspirant reminded his colleagues that PDP-Laban was created to fight the massive corruption during the dark years of Marcos Sr.’s dictatorial rule.

Pacquiao sits as president of the other faction, along with Sen. Koko Pimentel, whose late father Nene Pimentel was among the founders of the party in the 1980s.

The senator listed Promdi as his official party, though.

But while Cusi’s group endorsed Marcos, Duterte has so far not endorsed any candidate yet.

The world boxing champ, now a billionaire whose rags-to-riches narrative is common knowledge, nonetheless acknowledged that his communication with Filipino voters seemed inadequate, which is why they plan to “amplify” their platform and reach more social media netizens before the May 9 elections.

“I’m not really bothered at all because my voters belong to the D and E classes,” Pacquiao said in Filipino.

‘Only God can make me withdraw’

For the nth time, Pacquiao has advised his detractors to stop sowing intrigues that he will withdraw from the presidential race in the May 9 elections because only God can make him do so.

“What I am saying is that if the Lord gives me conviction, why will I counter it? Why will we violate it?” he said in Filipino.

The Promdi standard-bearer nevertheless repeated his stand in refusing to quit in all the battles of his life.

“Let’s not be like that. I’m doing the rounds campaigning. That’s not fair, that’s already below the belt,” Pacquiao said. “I don’t quit in all my battles.”

Meanwhile, Pacquiao said the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) would be stronger and more autonomous if he is elected president, saying the body should also be able to probe him if there are corruption claims.

Pacquiao said the PACC should be able to investigate the president and people under his office when asked what he would do, considering how former PACC chairman Greco Belgica himself said he could not investigate corruption claims against Duterte because he was a presidential appointee.

“When I appoint people to the PACC, I will make sure… and I will announce to the people that not only people in government would be investigated but also the president,” Pacquiao said in the same episode of “The Chiefs.”

“Even my people would be investigated because that’s what our government will be. I want to audit all offices from national down to local. It will be difficult but so be it, so we can have true reforms,” he added.

Pacquiao’s presidential bid is hinged on his promise of ridding the government of corruption – having presented himself as an anti-corruption firebrand to voters.

He is seeking reforms to the judicial system to ensure that justice is delivered to the corrupt as well as reforms to the penal system – the centerpiece of which is his proposed mega-prison that he vows would be home to thousands of corrupt officials and government employees who would be found guilty of graft and corruption during his massive investigation once elected into office.

As an example, Pacquiao cited the case of the Marcos family, whose members have been convicted yet remain free.

Pacquiao vowed to implement court decisions – especially that of the Supreme Court, an independent branch of the government – as president and “implementer of laws.”

“Whatever the Supreme Court decides, if you’re convicted, you’re convicted. And as chief executive, I will serve (justice), whether you’re rich or poor,” he said. – With Paolo Romero, Delon Porcalla