Energy Secretary and Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP)-Laban vice chairman Alfonso Cusi on Tuesday, June 29 said he finds it unfortunate that President Duterte has threatened to campaign against Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao despite being a part of the leadership of the ruling political party.

Cusi made the remark after Duterte, the PDP-Laban party’s chairman, openly threatened Pacquiao, the PDP-Laban’s party president, after the latter accused the current administration of being more corrupt than its predecessors.

“It’s really unfortunate that the acting president of the party is accusing the chairman who is the President of the country of those things Sen. Pacquiao have said openly,” Cusi said in an interview over ANC’s Headstart.

“Di po naman siguro tama yun na sarili mong bahay susunugin mo (I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to burn your own house). If you don’t like your house, I think the best thing is...if you don't like the company you are working for, don’t say something about it,” the PDP-Laban party stalwart further said.

“Lumayas ka muna bago mo sunugin ang bahay mo (You should leave first before setting your house on fire). That’s really unfortunate,” Cusi further said.

Cusi further defended the President for his actions against Pacquiao, and admitted there was a falling out between the two when the camp of Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III designated Pacquiao as national party president without informing the President beforehand about their decision.

“It began in December (2020), when there was allegedly a thanksgiving party that was called and we were invited,” Cusi recalled.

“We were surprised the following morning that there was a change in leadership, that the (party) presidency was turned over to Senator Manny Pacquiao. We had nothing against it. We kept silent. What we did was to ask for a meeting. We asked for a meeting with Sen. Pimentel,” he said.

Pacquiao then became the acting president of the party, while Pimentel is the party’s executive vice chairman.

“Unfortunately, because of the busy schedule of Sen Pimentel in his legislative work in the Senate, he wasn’t able to have a meeting with us...He told me he was very busy with his legislative work and he will help the President in passing the laws that are needed,” the secretary said.

Though they were able to talk with Pimentel in early February of this year, they were still unable to talk to Pacquiao despite having tried to set up a national council meeting with him.

During their meeting with Pimentel, Cusi said the senator pushed to give Pacquiao the needed exposure because he believes he has plans to run for higher office.

“I said that we don’t mind that but I think that it’s best that we meet,” Cusi said.

However, the planned meeting with Pacquiao did not materialize.

“This problem sana could have been discussed if we were able to have that meeting,” he said.

Nevertheless, he said the PDP-Laban party will still hold its council meeting and general assembly on July 16 and 17.

Cusi also confirmed that Duterte is now also “seriously studying” the possibility of running for vice president in May 2022.

“I cannot answer it for him but based on my understanding, he is seriously studying the clamor for him to run as vice president,” he said.

“There is a clamor by PDP-Laban members...for him to consider running for vice president in 2022 and all we know is he is seriously studying the matter,” the PDP-Laban stalwart added.