Pacman Should Leave PDP-Laban Before Criticizing Duterte – Cusi

“Lumayas ka muna bago mo sunugin ang bahay mo (Leave first before you burn your house down).”

Energy Secretary and PDP-Laban vice chairman Alfonso Cusi had this to say to party president Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who said corruption remains rampant and had even worsened in government during the Duterte administration.

Pacquiao said in a June 22 interview that eradicating corruption would be his advocacy if he runs for president in 2022, and that he would be frustrated if less than 200 people in government would go to jail.   He said “systematic corruption” is bigger than the problem on illegal drugs.

In response, Duterte, who is PDP-Laban chairman, challenged Paquiao to identify the office and the corrupt officials and “I will take care of them.”

“You should have created a list of persons and offices and you should have given it to me...You did not say anything all these years, you only had praises for me and then you are now saying we are corrupt,” Duterte added on Monday, June 28.

Read more: Duterte Lashes Out At Pacquiao For Saying His Administration Much More Corrupt

Cusi said Pacquiao should leave the ruling party before criticizing Duterte.

“It’s really unfortunate that the acting president of the party is accusing the chairman, who is the President of the country, of those things,” Cusi told ABS-CBN News Channel on Tuesday, June 29.

“If you don’t like the company you’re working for, don’t say something about it,” he added. “I think it’s not right that you burn your own house down).”

Cusi admitted that the rift within PDP-Laban all started in December 2020 when a thanksgiving party was held by party officials. He added that he was invited, but did not attend as he attended a meeting at Malacañang, and that Duterte and Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, who is also a party member, were unaware that a party was taking place.

“To our surprise the following morning that there was a change in leadership. The presidency was turned over to Sen. Manny Pacquiao,” he said.

“We have nothing against it. We kept silent, and what we did was ask for a meeting with Sen. (Aquilino) Koko Pimentel (III) to find out what really happened,” he added, referring to the former party president who now serves as PDP-Laban executive vice chairman.

Cusi explained he couldn’t meet with Pimentel right away due to the lawmaker’s busy schedule at the Senate. The meeting between Cusi and Pimentel, along with PDP-Laban acting secretary general Melvin Matibag, pushed through only February this year.

“Senator Koko explained to us that you know, to give Senator Pacquiao exposure because I believe that he has a plan to run for higher office,” he recalled. “I said that we don’t mind that but I think that it’s best that we meet.”

After that, Cusi said that he was trying to set a meeting with Pacquiao. “Unfortunately, for whatever reason ‘di kami nakapag-meeting (we were not able to meet),” the party executive said.  “This problem could’ve been discussed sana kung may meeting,” he added. “I believe this should be discussed privately sa party, not publicly.”

Asked about the possibility of Pacquiao becoming the PDP-Laban standard-bearer, Cusi answered: “Sinusunog na niya bahay niya eh... Papaano naman susuporta ‘yung partido? Dapat doon, buuin niya ng buuin ang partido (He’s burning the house down. How can the party support him?  He should be uniting the party),” Cusi said.

Go-Duterte tandem?

The PDP-Laban vice chairman also floated a Go-Duterte tandem for the 2022 elections, saying that PDP-Laban members in Cebu and other areas are open to this possibility.

“There was a clamor for Go-Duterte. So they drafted a resolution, there was a resolution for Go-Duterte),” he said in English and Filipino.

“But in fairness to Sen. Bong Go, he told us not to include him. I told him that, ‘You weren’t the one who drafted it.’ That was the result of a meeting in Visayas and we have to report that, just being factual,” Cusi added.

Cusi noted that based on his “personal belief,” he thinks that a possible Go-Duterte tandem could get the support of around 90% among PDP-Laban members.

During his late-night address to the nation on Monday night, Duterte once again expressed his openness to run for the vice presidency in the 2022 elections, saying that it was a “not a bad idea.”