Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) Chairman Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Wednesday criticized the group of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi for engaging into transactional politics, saying their group’s endorsement of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. is their way of peddling they are a formidable group.
Pimentel also said the Cusi-led group’s stance that it is time for Filipinos to “move forward” from the past, is again proof that their faction are illegitimate, saying only legitimate members of the group know the history and the principles of the ruling political party, which was established to oppose the Marcos dictatorship.
“(Kelangan daw mag move forward), oo pero kelangan natin ng prinsipyo, hindi pwedeng transactional, nilalako mo ang partido (Yes we need to move forward, but we need principles. It cannot be transactional. You are peddling the party),” Pimentel said in an interview over CNN Philippines’ The Source.
“So di ba, pruweba iyan na nilalako, binebenta nila ang kanilang grupo (So isn’t it proof that they are peddling, selling their group)? So, this is transactional politics,” Pimentel stressed.
“Hindi ka magmu-move on with (You can’t move on with) transactional politics. Walang mangyayari sa Pilipinas, kaya (Nothing will happen to the Philippines, that’s why) we have to have some principles,” the senator stressed.
“Actually that’s the reason why we have political parties, to outlast the lifespan of the politicians. So that the principles would be the main topic, not personalities,” Pimentel reiterated.
On Tuesday, the Duterte-backed PDP-Laban Cusi wing endorsed Marcos, Jr. as the party’s presidential candidate. Marcos, Jr. is running in tandem with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, the President’s daughter.
However, the Cusi-led endorsement has no backing of President Duterte himself, as the energy department chief said their decision was borne out of consultations among members of the party.
Cusi had said that Marcos, Jr. was chosen by their group because he is “the candidate whose vision of governance is most aligned with the PDP-Laban’s 11-point agenda” and he is the candidate who can continue Duterte’s legacy.
Pimentel's faction, meanwhile, is fielding Senator Manny Pacquiao, as the party's standard bearer and Rep. Joselito "Lito" Atienza as their vice presidential candidate.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec), however, has yet to rule which of the two warring PDP-Laban faction is legitimate.