The 75-year-old Liberal Party is open to consider boxing icon Senator Emmanuel D, Pacquiao as a possible standard bearer in the forthcoming 2022 presidential election.
Senator Francis ‘’Kiko’’ N. Pangilinan, LP president, issued the statement in reply to queries on personalities it has reached out to or is reaching out to as possible presidential and vice presidential candidate of the party.
"If Pacquiao is sincere in looking for solutions to the country’s myriad problems, ‘we are open,'’’ he said when told that there is a rift at the ruling PDP-Laban.
Being reached out, according to Pangilinan, are Senators Panfilo M. Lacson, Joel Villanueva and Nancy Binay and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.
During a Zoom forum with Senate reporters, Pangilinan said working for the broadest unity among the possible bets is ‘’critical.’’
The PDP-Laban rift is between the camps of Pacquiao and President Duterte whose directives are being followed by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.
Pacquiao had asked party followers to boycott the May 31 PDP-Laban National Assembly called by Cusi and had tagged the meeting as illegal.
PDP-Laban will again hold a meeting on July 17.
It was called by Cusi but the Pacquiao camp maintained that the holding of a National Assembly must be called jointly by the president and chairman, referring to Pacquiao and Duterte, respectively.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque had said that the President directed Cusi, party vice chairman, to call the May 31 National Meeting.
Disunity would affect their strength and the chances of PDP-Laban bets, Pangilinan said.
Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III, chairman of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), had said he is considering to run for vice president.
His political plan is predicated on Senator Panfilo Lacson being his presidential candidate. The other day, Sotto said both Pacquiao and Lacson are welcome to NPC.
Sotto however thinks Pacquiao would be voted as permanent president of PDP-Laban whose leaders area at a collision course.
The NPC honcho issued the statement before Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles stated that Pacquiao could be ousted as acting PDP-Laban acting President when the party National Council meets next month.
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