Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi shouldn't be deciding for the Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) like he is the chief of the party, Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said on Saturday, July 10.
Pimentel, PDP-Laban executive vice chairman, reminded Cusi that he is in "passive position" in the administration party and should not be deciding on matters on his own.
Cusi is the political party's vice chairman.
"'Yong mga titulong vice chairman, hindi ka dapat kumikilos na executive. Ano ka lang, passive position lang 'yan. Di ka kumikilos na parang ikaw ang presidente ng partido, chief executive ka ng partido, hindi dapat ganoon (Those with the title of a vice chairman should not be acting like a chief executive. You are just in a passive position. You don't act like you are the president of the party)," Pimentel said in an interview over radio DWIZ.
"Ang isyu sa PDP-Laban ay ganito: Ang faction ni Sec. Cusi na passive ang position, party vice chairman, at kumikilos na parang party president ang kilos, nirereorganize ang partido -- para saan po ba 'yan (The issue in PDP-Laban is the faction of Sec. Cusi, whose position in the party is passive, a vice chaiman, but acts like he is the president and is reorganizing the party -- what is this for)?" he later said.
On Friday, July 9, the members of the PDP-Laban signed a resolution expelling Cusi and two other party officials for supposedly violating the party's constitution and disloyalty to the party by backing the potential presidential bid of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, who is not a member of the party.
This, even as party president Sen. Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao is reported as eyeing presidency, although he refuses to confirm it.
Pacquiao's group said Cusi, in initiating the May 31 meeting in Cebu, was "manipulating the party" to support the Duterte-Duterte tandem in 2022.
"Within the party dapat honest kami sa isat isa, sabihin in good faith. Kasi kung sagot sa tanong outsider ang gusto namin, eh 'di magusap na lang tayo. Better na maghiwalay na lang tayo nang maayos, magkaibigan pa tayo hindi pa tayo nag-aaway (Within the party, we should be honest with each other, tell us in good faith. If they wanted to nominate an outsider, then we could just talk. It's better that we separate amicably, we could remain friends not fight)," said Pimentel, whose father and namesake, former Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr., founded the PDP-Laban.
"Eh 'yong manok niyo meron ding sariling politcal party, bakit hindi kayo makalipat doon (Your bet has her own political party, why can't they just transfer)?" he added, alluding to Duterte's Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) regional party.
Responding to his expulsion, Cusi said on Friday: “Sen. Pacquiao demeans himself by resorting to underhanded tactics. Whoever advises him clearly doesn’t care about him and his reputation. I pity Sen. Pacquiao, he is clearly misguided."
And despite the resolution, the Department of Energy (DOE) secretary said the July 17 meeting of the party "will push through as scheduled and as confirmed by our party Chairman (President Duterte)."
"See you then," Cusi dared Pacquiao.
Pimentel maintained that the July 17 meeting called by Cusi is unauthorized by the party.