Senator Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao is confident that he will not be ousted as the legitimate president of the Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
In an online press conference Saturday, July 3, Pacquiao maintained that he is a legitimate president -- and not just an acting president -- of the administration party.
"For their information po, hindi po ako acting president. Kasi succession po ang nangyari sa akin. In short, hindi po ako pwedeng tawagin na acting president...Ako po ay legit na president (For their information, I am not an acting president. Because what happened was a succession of power. In short, I cannot be called as acting president. I am a legit president)," the senator said.
Earlier, Cusi said President Duterte, the ruling party's chairman, was not consulted before Pacquiao assumed presidency in the party.
Pacquiao also did not seem concerned about the possibility being raised that he would be removed as PDP-Laban head in the upcoming PDP-Laban assembly, which was called by party vice chairman, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, on July 17.
Majority of PDP-Laban members, he said, still support his leadership. He said he secured over 10,000 signatures of PDP-Laban members who were "commending as president of the party".
"Maraming members ang nagsusupport po sa akin at sila po ang active members ng PDP-Laban (More members of are supporting me and they are the active members of PDP-Laban)," he told Cusi.
Cusi, he added, only sought to divide the party and its members.
In the same briefing, Pacquio admitted that many political parties have already "opened their doors" for him.
"Marami pong naawa sa akin dahil wala naman po akong ginagawang masama. Marami pong naawa at gusto akong, open 'yong door para sa akin para lumipat sa kanilang partido (Many feel sorry for me because I am not doing anything wrong. They wanted to open their doors for me for when I move to their party)," he disclosed.
"Pero ang sa akin, marami pong salamat sa inyo pong willing na pagtanggap sa akin pero gusto ko lang pong ipaalam na nandito pa po ako sa PDP, at gusto kong ayusin at turuan ang mga tiwaling myembro ng partido na ito (I thank those willing to accept me but I want to let them know that I am still with the PDP-Laban, and I want to fix and teach the dishonest members in my party)," Pacquiao said.