Published July 19, 2021, 9:05 AM
President Duterte is bracing for a legal battle over the leadership of the ruling Partido Demoktraiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) party among warring factions.
President Rodrigo Duterte attends the National Assembly of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in Clark, Pampanga on July 17, 2021. Energy Secretary Alfonsi Cusi, seated next to the President, is elected new party president. (Malacañang)
The President cautioned about the looming lawsuits arising from the intra-party dispute, saying Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III is expected to “fight tooth and nail” to keep the party following the recent election of new officials. Duterte is currently chairman of the ruling party.
Published July 19, 2021, 11:25 AM
The planned September assembly of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) organized by the camp of Senator Manny Pacquiao would be illegal, recently-elected party secretary general Melvin Matibag said on Monday, July 19.
“That’s going to be illegal. It will be illegal because it is clear in our constitution that a national council meeting can only be called upon the order of the party chairman in coordination with the party president,” said Matibag in Filipino in an interview on GMA-7’s Unang Hirit.
“For now, if we are going to have a national council meeting, it should be called by President Duterte in coordination with Secretary Alfonso Cusi,” said Matibag, whose election to his current party post has not been recognized by the PDP-Laban faction headed by Pacquiao.
DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi (Ariel Fernandez/ MANILA BULLETIN)
“Tila baga siya ay napaka-busy ngayon sa pampulitikang usapin na naiiwan ‘yung mga mahahalagang usapin sa power industry (It seems that he is too busy with political issues that important issues in the power industry are being neglected),” P4P Convenor Gerry Arances said on Monday, July 19 during a virtual power consumers’ assembly.
Arances went as far to say that it might be better for Cusi to just leave the energy department if he continues to be remiss with his duties.
“If DOE doesn’t shape up…kami po ay mananawagan, na kung si Secretary Cusi ay nagwagi doon sa pagpapatalsik noong kanilang mga opisyales sa kanilang partido, malinaw po na baka manawagan ang mga electric consumers na dapat umalis na po siya sa DOE (while Secretary Cusi has been successful in booting out officials from their parties, we may call on him to just leave the DOE),” he said.
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Published July 19, 2021, 2:43 PM
Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales on Monday, July 19, called President Duterte a coward for planning to run as vice president in 2022 to get away from the legal liabilities that he is bound to face once he steps down from power.
Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales
(FILE PHOTO/MANILA BULLETIN)
She also took swipe at the Chief Executive for his arrogance in thinking that he will surely win the vice presidential race if he decides to put his name on the ballot.
“Legal ignorance aside, his repeated proclamation of a VP run assumes he will win and reflects his legendary braggadocio. In any event, his statement only confirms that he is cowardly!,” Carpio-Morales said through opposition coalition 1Sambayan’s official Facebook page.