President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out against Sen. Manny Pacquiao on Thursday and told him to stick with his senatorial duties and work on exposing the corruption he had accused the administration of perpetrating.
It was the second time the chief executive fired tirades at the senator, in another indication of a widening rift between the two PDP-Laban stalwarts.
“E kung mag-report ka lang, dalawa, isang buwan, then I would say that you are a s**t. A s**t is a s**t. Magtrabaho ka, hiningi mo ‘yan, nandiyan ‘yong mga papel, start investigating. Do not go elsewhere. Comply first with your duty as a senator. Tapusin mo ‘yan, nandiyan ‘yong mga papeles. Huwag kang pa-absent-absent,” Duterte said during the inauguration of the Light Rail Transit Line 2 East Extension Project.
Duterte claimed Pacquiao only brought up the corruption allegations after he grew impatient waiting for PDP-Laban to choose its presidential bet.
“He could not maybe wait for the announcement that PDP will go for him, ayon nagwala, nagsabi ‘corruption dito, corruption doon.’ He has been with government for so long a time as a senator. My question to Pacquiao is: Bakit ngayon ka lang nagsalita?” Duterte said.
Pacquiao earlier this week said he would expose corruption in government agencies, starting with the Department of Health (DOH).
“Tinatanggap ko ang hamon ng Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. Salamat po at binigyan nyo kami ng pagkakataon na tumulong sa inyo at bigyan kayo ng mga impormasyon para kampanya kontra korapsyon,” he said.
But Duterte came once again to the defense of his health chief.
“I do not see any problem kay Health Secretary (Francisco Duque III). Gusto nga nila paalisin. Ang sabi ko bigyan mo ako ng rason na paalisin ko itong si DOH. Wala akong nakitang kasalanan. Bakit ko tanggalin? Against the advice of the many, even Cabinet members, sabi ko, I will stick with the man na walang kasalanan and working only doing his job,” Duterte said.
Pacquiao is among Duterte’s five options to be his successor in 2022, along with Sara Duterte-Carpio former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and top aide Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go. John Ezekiel J. Hirro