Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) party stalwart Senator Manny Pacquiao on Wednesday, Sept. 8 denied the allegations hurled by the camp of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi that he is converting the People’s Champ Movement (PCM) from a regional political party to a national party.
Cusi’s faction in the PDP-Laban had claimed that the senator is intending to convert the PCM as his own national political party which is a direct violation of the Party’s by-laws and constitution and warrants Pacquiao’s expulsion from the party.
“Ang PCM naman ay Partido ng kapatid ko. Yung kapatid ko gusto niyang palakihin ang PCM party so, yun po ang direksyon nila (PCM is a party founded by my brother. My brother has the intention to expand the PCM party, that’s their party direction),” Pacquaio said in a virtual presser.
According to Pacquiao, the leadership of the PCM has repeatedly moved to convert the party from being a regional to a national party during the last two national elections.
“Actually matagal na ang inaapela ng mga kapatid na gawing national party yung PCM party. Last, last two elections pa, eh ngayon lang nagawa. Nagkataon lang ngayon lang nagawa (My siblings have long been planning to turn the PCM party to a national party. Since last, last two elections. But they were only able to do so now. It just so happens they were able to do it now),” the senator explained.
Asked what his position is in the PCM, the country's boxing icon said he is not an officer in the party, which is being handled by his brother and other close relatives.
“Hindi po ako officer dun. Umalis ako nung naging officer ako ng PDP (I’m not an officer there. I left the PCM when I became an officer in PDP-Laban),” he said.
But he did not discount the possibility of the PCM entering into a coalition with the PDP-Laban party.
“Yes, (pwedeng) magiging coalition yan ng PDP (they can be part of a coalition of the PDP-Laban),” Pacquiao stressed.