Pacquiao-Moreno tandem brewing?
Ally confirms negotiations ongoing; PDP ceasefire urged
House Deputy Speaker and Buhay Partylist Rep. Lito Atienza on Tuesday confirmed that there are ongoing negotiations between the camps of Senator Manny Pacquiao and Manila Mayor Isko ‘Yorme’ Moreno for a possible tandem for the 2022 elections.
In an interview with Daily Tribune’s “Straight Talk,” Atienza admitted that “many people” are attempting to convince the two to become running mates for the next polls.
“A lot of people, but there is no agreement yet,” Atienza told the Daily Tribune when asked about the veracity of the rumors that there are
groups wanting to make the Pacquiao-Moreno tandem happen next year.
“I dream of a ticket composed of these two gentlemen,” he added.
Despite this, he also recognized the possibility that the two could run against each other in the next polls as there are other groups urging both public officials to run for president.
“Pacquiao and Moreno, whether one is number one or number two but that will be a very, very formidable tandem which will excite not just the urban areas but the countryside. I hope they won’t compete against each other. That’s my prayer,” Atienza said.
The lawmaker explained that he sees Pacquaio, who he also considers as a son, to be a “gamechanger” who can lead the country to a better economic position and alleviate poverty.
“Manny can change all of this. Whatever he did to be successful in boxing, he can also do that to attain economic success,” Atienza said.
“I know that Manny’s political ambition is pure because I know that person very well. He has no desire to usurp the wealth of the country. He only wanted to improve the lives of Filipinos,” he added.
Atienza also hit Pacquiao’s critics who have been calling him stupid and unfit for the presidency.
Not dumb after all
“You cannot call him dumb or stupid. One cannot be the only eight-division boxing world champion in history if one is stupid,” he stressed.
“If you call Manny stupid, I think you are more stupid because you don’t know that you can reach Manny’s success in boxing if you are not a genius. I call him a genius because he is like a sponge. When he sees, hears, and reads about something, he digests that immediately. That is the method he uses to succeed in what he desires,” he added.
Atienza believes Pacquiao will survive his apparent rift with President Rodrigo Duterte, who is his party mate in PDP-Laban, after the senator accused the Duterte administration of being three times more corrupt than his predecessors.
The congressman also has a “strong feeling” that Pacquiao was given the “mandate from heaven” to succeed Duterte in 2022.
However, the former Manila mayor disclosed that if Pacquiao and Moreno would end up as two contenders for the presidency, he will certainly be supporting the former.
“I said to Mayor Isko, ‘I like you, you’re my prodigy, but I also consider Manny as one of my children. If you fight him, I will definitely be on his side. Like in a boxing match, I will be in his corner,’” he pointed out.
Despite this, Atienza also vouched for Moreno’s competence to his possible presidential success.
“Isko Moreno is a very, very promising potential leader of the nation. He can expand his services from Manila to the whole country. The Philippines will flourish under his watch. For me, Isko’s credentials are excellent,” he said.
“He really cares especially to the marginalized sectors in Manila. He knows the solutions for poverty are economic development, physical redevelopment, and urban renewal. These are programs he has been doing in Manila since he assumed office,” he added.
At the end of the day, Moreno has two options: Run again as mayor next year or wait for another six years to run for president, Atienza said.
“My advice to him is to concentrate in Manila for the meantime. But I know many have been asking him not to waste the opportunity and time to run for the top position of the land. We will see what will prevail on him,” he disclosed.
However, if Moreno would opt to run for a national post, Atienza said it is a better option that he sticks with Pacquiao.
“I hope they won’t fight against each other. I will do everything that I can to prevent that. It’s good for them to run together,” he said.
Ceasefire appeal
Meanwhile, Senator Francis Tolentino on Tuesday appealed for a “ceasefire” between the warring factions within the ruling party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) amid the infighting and called for unity among party-members.
“The proper attitude right now is to simmer down. All those talking should stop,” Tolentino said in a television interview.
“I read somewhere about a ceasefire. There should be a ceasefire on this,” he added.
The upcoming national elections is causing a political divide within the ruling party — with factions led by president-elect Energy Chief Alfonso G. Cusi and Senator Manny Pacquiao.
The Cusi-led wing elected its new set of party officials on Saturday which the other group denounced as still “unauthorized” despite the attendance of party chair President Rodrgio Duterte.
While the members who voted during the national assembly over the weekend are under PDP-Laban’s most recent Sworn Information Update Statement, the Pacquiao-led faction said that the grassroots members describe it as a “farce, illegal and not sanctioned by the general membership.”
Tolentino, however, rallied behind the legitimacy of the recent party elections and said that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) or the Supreme Court (SC) will side with the group if the case is brought to them.
“The procedure was followed. The members of the national assembly, national council were there to validate, to confirm the existence of a quorum and the procedure needed by the by-laws. I don’t see any reason as far as legitimacy is concerned,” the senator said.
“I think the Comelec will decide and most probably, there is a great probability that it will reach the SC. If you follow the Constitution and by-laws of the PDP-Laban, I think the recently elected officers will have their legitimacy affirmed,” he added.
Neutral stance
The lawmaker further clarified that he does not side with any of the factions and advised the newly-minted leaders to reach out to Pacquiao and Senator Koko Pimentel to mend the rift between the ruling party.
“The right approach here probably would be for the new leadership to reach out to Senators Pacquiao and Pimentel. They’re still members, they were not expelled,” he said.
“They’re still members of PDP-Laban, so as I have said before, there is no Pacquiao wing or Cusi wing because for me, PDP-Laban is like a bird, and a bird, like a plane, cannot fly with just a single wing,” he added.
VP run Duterte’s ‘prerogative’
During the same interview, Tolentino backed President Duterte and said that he will rally behind the Chief Executive whether he decides to run or not.
“That is his prerogative. That is part of his freedom to decide, whether he runs or not,” the senator said.
He also expressed openness to a possible Duterte-Duterte tandem under PDP-Laban which he said is nothing illegal nor unconstitutional.
“I don’t see any reason for PDP-Laban to exclude others. We’ve been in a coalition mode ever since. We dissolved the two-party system,” he said.
“(But) I think that’s for the potential candidates to decide. As a mere member, I’m just voicing out my opinion. Is there a law prohibiting it? You can’t find one. Would it be a flawed decision? That’s subjective. Are there rules within PDP-Laban or omnibus election code banning it? I doubt it. At the end of the day, it’s the decision of the electoral code that would be sustained,” he added.