Pacquiao ‘duterted’

By Artchil B. Fernandez

The Pambansang Kamao was politically KOed this week, marking his baptism of fire in the dirty world of trapo politics. This is just the beginning for Manny Pacquiao as the season of political alignment and realignment opens in preparation for the 2022 national and local elections.

Pacquiao, a first-term senator and president of PDP-Laban, is currently at odds with Energy Secretary and PDP-Laban vice-chairman Alfonso Cusi. Last Monday, Cusi convened a national council assembly of the party in Cebu over the strong objection of Pacquiao.

Early last month, Cusi called for a PDP-Laban national council assembly at the end of May. He made the call without coordinating with the party president. This move of Cusi irked Pacquiao who issued a directive telling members of the party to ignore Cusi’s call. Memorandum Circular 01-2021 of Pacquiao instructed members of their party not to attend Cusi’s assembly.

Pacquiao’s directives emphasized that under party rules “any call for a national council and/or assembly must be approved by both the chairman and the president only.” The party chair is no other than Du30. Cusi does not have the authority to call for such gathering Pacquiao claims.

This is not the first time Cusi and Pacquiao clashed over party matters. In March, Pacquiao slammed Cusi for circulating a resolution pushing for the candidacy of Du30 for vice-president in the 2022 election. Pacquiao called the move of Cusi poison and divisive. “If you are going around the country, talking about politics, do not poison the minds of the party members and sow division,” he publicly admonished Cusi. Pacquiao also asserted his authority in the incident. “It is my right to sanction the activities of party members. It is my right to correct any mistake,” he warned Cusi.

The warning had no effect on Cusi for two months later he and Pacquiao sparred again on the same issue. A defiant Cusi rebuffed Pacquiao’s directive for a boycott of the national council assembly he called. Cusi asserted that the meeting aims to find ways on “how to support the President’s agenda as he enters his last year in office.” Pacquiao, on the other hand, contended that the meeting called by Cusi is not legitimate, insisting that such meeting must have the approval of the party chair and party president.

On the eve of the meeting, Du30 came to Cusi’s rescue. His spokesperson confirmed that it was Du30 who directed Cusi “to organize, convene, and preside over a council meeting of its members.” It was a huge jab at Pacquiao’s leadership.

Despite Pacquiao’s fierce objection, the meeting pushed through. Pacquiao’s Senate colleagues and fellow party members, Bato de la Rosa and Francis Tolentino ignored his directive and were present in the meeting via Zoom. Negros Oriental Rep. Arnulfo Teves, the party secretary-general who strongly objected to the assembly on the ground of violation of party rules, was immediately replaced. Teves was a Pacquiao partisan and his swift removal was a big blow to Pacman’s leadership.

The meeting passed a resolution to convince Du30 to run for vice president in 2022, a triumph for Cusi who had been pushing for it since March. Pacquiao stayed away from the meeting, still maintaining it was not legitimate without his imprimatur. But it is obvious he is the biggest loser in the political brawl.

What recently happened in the ruling PDP-Laban speaks volumes of Pacquiao’s status in the party, his leadership and his political future. Pacquiao is not an old hand in the party, joined it late and was installed as party president only in December, 2020. He ran and won as senator under Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).  Earlier he was allied with Manny Villar’s NP.

Pacquiao’s elevation as party president despite being new to PDP-Laban raised many questions and the answers are becoming clearer as 2022 nears. The party wanted to use Pacquiao’s popularity and money to its advantage but was unwilling to give him control over it. The fact that his protest at Cusi’s meeting was ignored by the party indicates Pacquiao is only a mere figurehead.

In short, Pacquiao was ‘Duterted’ by Du30, in particular, and by the PDP-Laban in general. However, Pacquiao is not an innocent victim. He joined the party to advance his presidential ambition and hopes to gain Du30’s support. In the political dance of Du30 and Pacquiao, each wants to use and take advantage of the other.

The political greenhorn Pacquiao is no match to the veteran and wily Du30. It is clear it is Pacquiao who is at the losing end of the bargain, and it was he who was duped and fooled by Du30. He is only party president in name and on paper for real power in the PDP-Laban rests and resides in the chair who is Du30.

Like the 16 million DDS (who have considerably dwindled since 2016), Pacquiao was tricked by Du30 into the party. Similar to victims of pyramid scams, Pacquiao was lured with the possibility of an easy path to the presidency through the backing of Malacañang. Alas to his dismay, Pacquiao has now discovered that he was recruited to serve Du30’s nefarious scheme and not the other way around.

The knockout punch delivered by Cusi with the backing of Du30 should serve as a rude awakening to Pacquiao. His political deflowering may be painful and bloody but he can gain valuable lessons from the experience if he is wise enough to discern.

Question now is, after being duterted by Du30 what is the next move of Pacquiao?

Will he continue to dance in Du30’s tune or craft a new path? The political scene is becoming more and more interesting as 2022 is at hand.