Senator Manny Pacquiao is ready to run for president as an independent candidate should the Commission on Elections take the side of the PDP-Laban faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.
“He is ready. That is how strong the principles of Sen. Manny Pacquiao are,” said Ron Munsayac, executive director of the PDP wing led by Pacquiao.
“There are several political parties willing to support Senator Manny Pacquiao… but we want to clarify that Sen. Manny will not be joining any other party,” he said.
Over at the Cusi-wing, Senator Christopher officially rejected their endorsement for him to be the standard bearer of PDP-Laban, running in tandem with President Rodrigo Duterte.
“I am deeply honored by the trust and confidence of the members of the NEC in my capability to run for the presidency in the coming 2022 elections. For a simple man who hails from a city in the South, the endorsement alone by esteemed members and officers of the NEC is a great personal honor for me,” Go said in his letter to Cusi.
“As much as I wish to respond to the clamor of many of our party-mates, I most respectfully decline the said endorsement. As I have said many times before, I am not interested in the presidency,” he added.
Should Go keep his word, this means the Cusi-led PDP-Laban wing is left without a possible standard bearer, fanning speculations that the ruling party might eventually adopt Davao City Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio as its candidate.
The mayor, however, appeared to be not inclined to run in tandem with her father even as she described PDP-Laban’s announcement of a Go-Duterte ticket as an unpleasant event.
Cusi said while the ruling party understands the position of Go, it is “determined” to endorse the senator as PDP’s presidential candidate.
Both the factions of Cusi and Pacquiao have filed separate Sworn Information Update Statements (SIUS) earlier this month before the Comelec.
The group that would fail to get the Comelec’s approval will have no right to issue Certificates of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA) that are needed to run under a party.