Leadership row shows in PDP-Laban (1)
ACRACK in the dam is a disaster waiting to happen. At first glance, it is an insignificant and harmless defect that can be ignored for all we care. But at the end of the day, such indifference could lead to a tragedy of catastrophic proportions simply because we didn’t care while we had the time.
We are not talking here about a structural calamity waiting to happen. Rather, we are referring to a perceptible rift between two political bigwigs in the country, who otherwise should be making beautiful music together because they stand in the same political party with President Duterte in command.
Recent political developments showed Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and House Speaker Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez trading barbed statements that don’t speak well of party unity and shared vision for the commonweal of the people who put them in office.
What these pointed remarks indicate is an unmistakable sign of disunity and distrust between Pimentel, the recognized national president of the dominant Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP)-Laban, and Alvarez, the party’s secretary general.
According to the speaker, he has no beef about the idea of shutting the doors for senatorial candidates in next year’s elections. The exclusion, of course, effectively quashes any plan by Pimentel to seek reelection in the 2019 polls. “Payag ako na halimbawa, ang walang eleksyon lang yung mga senador, tapos kaming mga congressmen saka mga local officials, pwedeng kami lang yung mag-election kasi every three years naman yung aming termino.”
Loosely translated, this is what he said. “I am in favor of no elections for senators, limiting the exercise to congressmen and local officials who have three-year terms.” It would be a masterstroke for Alvarez — in case this scenario becomes a reality. He would be hitting two birds with one stone, so to speak.
After being banned from the race, where does Pimentel go? A likely option is to run for a seat in the House of Representatives, in which case Alvarez, being the speaker, will have him in complete control. Neat. isn’t it?