The infighting between officials and members of the ruling Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) might benefit the opposition in the 2022 elections, after all.
Senate Minority Leader and Liberal Party (LP) Vice Chairman Franklin Drilon admitted this on Wednesday, June 30, as he weighed in on the ongoing row between PDP-Laban chair President Duterte, and the party's acting president, Sen. Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao.
Drilon raised that the rift between Duterte and Pacquiao could result in the division of the PDP-Laban, which, he said, would have "serious implications" in the upcoming polls.
"The ruling party will be split," said the veteran lawmaker said during the virtual Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.
"It will not harm the opposition to have the split, but it will certainly help 'pag nahati ang administrasyon (if the administration will split). Given all the resources, given all the troll farms, given the social media expense and resources that they have, certainly, the split will help the opposition," Drilon admitted.
He, however, said that "it takes a lot of work" for the opposition to take advantage of the possible split of the PDP-Laban -- including fielding a single standard-bearer for 2022.
"No one in the opposition has taken yet any concreate step. Maybe it's too early, but once there is consensus as to who the principal player will be in the opposition, then it is the role of whoever is anointed, given the mandate of the opposition, to try to consolidate the ranks of the oppostion, and that includes having one candidate," Drilon noted.
Drilon said he sees "history being repeated" as Duterte threatened to campaign against Pacquiao should the latter fail to prove his claim of worsening corruption in government.
He recalled the divide between administration-allied politicians when former President Corazon "Cory" Aquino endorsed the presidential bid of her defense chief Fidel Ramos, over another ally and former House Speaker Ramon Mitra, for the 1992 elections.
He said he "wouldn't be surprised" if Pacquiao would be ousted as PDP-Laban acting president, signaled by the previous meeting led by party vice chairman, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, despite the senator's objection.
PDP-Laban executive vice chairman and Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III warned on Tuesday, June 29, that some members of the ruling party, particularly those from Cusi's group, were just waiting for the party to "implode".
Pacquiao, meanwhile, accepted Duterte's challenge, naming first the Department of Health (DOH) as among the agencies he tagged as corrupt.